Scott Baio Clarifies His Comments On Erin Moran's Death

Scott Baio found himself at the center of outrage after he spoke publicly about his deceased Happy Days (1974-84) co-star, Erin Moran.

After an initial tribute tweet, Baio did a radio interview on The Bernie and Sid Show (via TMZ), where he reacted to reports that Moran had possibly died of a drug overdose.

"I'm okay, a little shocked, but not completely shocked that this happened, but my thing really is, I feel bad, because her whole life she was troubled, could never find what made her happy and content, you know what I mean?" Baio said.

"And, for me, you do drugs or drink, you're gonna die, and I'm sorry if that's cold, but, you know, God gave you a brain, gave you the will to live and thrive, and you gotta take care of yourself," he continued.

Later that day, Moran's official autopsy would show that she died as a result of cancer.

Baio immediately found himself on the defensive from social media users accusing him of jumping to conclusions and irresponsibly speculating about Moran's cause of death.

He told TMZ that he was never aware of Moran's cancer diagnosis, despite the fact that his wife, Renee, had recently been in contact with her, and that if he had known, "he would've kept his mouth shut."

Finally, Baio penned a lengthy Facebook message addressing the accusations that he prematurely concluded the cause of Moran's death. In the message, Baio clarifies that he was asked about "Erin's troubled past due to drug & alcohol abuse," which is why he made those comments.

"Please stop assuming the worse [sic] in me. I'm a compassionate person. I'm very heartbroken over her passing, especially since it was cancer," he wrote.