Molly Shannon Says She Had Horrific Interaction With Gary Coleman

Molly Shannon is most well known for playing some hilarious roles on "Saturday Night Live," like Helen Madden and cheerleader Mary Catherine Gallagher. She also starred in the 1999 hit "Superstar," where she reprised her role as Gallagher, proving her comedic timing was impeccable. According to her IMDb profile, the star has appeared in many other films and television shows since her "SNL" days, including a recurring role in "Will & Grace." She also lent her voice to Millie on the animated series "Bob's Burgers."

Recently, Shannon proved that her talent extends beyond acting and voiceover work with her new memoir titled "Hello, Molly!" According to The New York Times, the book covers a wide range of topics, including her rise to fame on "Saturday Night Live." On a more serious note, the book also details a car crash that killed Shannon's mother, sister, and cousin. At the time, Shannon's father was driving the vehicle. "There is no way to know exactly what happened that night, though my gut tells me he fell asleep at the wheel," she wrote in the memoir (via USA Today). "But would he have fallen asleep without the drinking? It still keeps me up at night sometimes, but, in the end, all that is relevant is that it changed our lives forever." 

Sadly, the death of her mother and sister is not the only struggle that Shannon has encountered in her life. She also detailed a traumatic experience that she had with actor Gary Coleman.

During an appearance on "The Howard Stern Show," Molly Shannon revealed that her first encounter with "Diff'rent Strokes" star Gary Coleman was not good. The moment — which she details in her memoir — happened after Shannon signed on with the same talent agent as Coleman. She had the opportunity to meet him, and initially, their talent agent accompanied Shannon and Coleman to a hotel room. However, things took a turn when they were left alone.

Shannon explained that Coleman was "sweet" at first, but then he began tickling her. "He was relentless. Then, he was like trying to kiss me and get on top, and I was like, 'No, Gary. Stop.' So, I push him off. Then, I would get off the bed," she said, adding that Coleman would just come back on the bed. "Then, I would fling him off. And then he got on top of me. I guess because of his size I didn't feel physically threatened," she added. "But, it was going on and on. Repeating. I would throw him off; he would get back on." Even when Shannon made an escape to the bathroom, Coleman egged her on more, sticking his fingers under the door and taunting her. In hindsight, Shannon said she wishes she had stuck up for herself.

Coleman died in 2010 after falling inside of his home. The star was taken to a hospital, per Today, but he died two days later after suffering a brain hemorrhage. Authorities later ruled the death an accident.