Tom Arnold Drew Upon Childhood Sexual Abuse Past In New Movie Role

(HMG) – After recently being in the news for helping stage a substance abuse intervention for Jason Davis, Tom Arnold who has remained sober himself is in the news again on another positive note. The actor, comedian and television host revealed a secret he carried for more than four decades, that he had been the victim of childhood sexual abuse. He shared details of his painful past during media interviews for the movie “Gardens of the Night.” In the movie, his role was that of a pedophile.  From age four to seven Arnold was sexually abused by a 19-year-old male babysitter. The sexual abuse occurred several times a week. In an effort to keep him quiet the babysitter gave Arnold a candy bar and told him he would hurt his father if he told anyone. Years later as an adult Arnold confronted his abuser.

Arnold drew on his personal experience for the role and modeled the character after his abuser — even dressing like him.  According to the Adverse Childhood Experiences study by the Centers for Disease Control one in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. However, it’s believed most cases of abuse are never reported.

Source