One was lost in alcohol; one was addicted to meth. Here's
how Jodie Sweetin and John Stamos saved each other from the brink.
John Stamos has gone through bouts of excessive alcohol use, particularly
after the death of his mother in 2014. During a 2016 interview with Howard Stern, he admitted:
"I could stop on a dime. I could stop. In the times that I went back,
it just sort of deteriorated my life, and who I was,
and my morals and my values. I lost myself, I lost my sense of discipline."
This all came to a head in 2015 when Stamos was arrested on a DUI charge.
He was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to undertake
a series of alcohol recovery programs, including counseling. Thankfully, though,
Jodie Sweetin was there to support him every step of the way during this time.
"Jodie, how old were you when we met?"
"I was, uh, prob- I think I turned five actually
when we were shooting the first season of the show."
When Full House ended in 1995, Jodie Sweetin began a cycle of excessive alcohol and drug
use. During her teens and early 20s, she experimented with a variety of substances and
eventually became addicted to methamphetamine. As she admitted to People Magazine in 2008:
"Everything revolved around my addiction. On a typical day I'd wake up and feel terrible
because I hadn't done any. You don't even realize that it's taken over so quickly."
By 2008, Sweetin managed to get sober after going to rehab, and she later went on to become
a certified alcohol and drug counselor. This led to her receiving the Writers in Treatment's
Experiences, Strength, and Hope Award from John Stamos in 2019. According to Writers in Treatment,
"The award recognizes individuals in the entertainment industry who share
their honest journey from addiction to recovery."
During Stamos' speech, he detailed how Sweetin
helped him on his own journey toward sobriety, as he revealed,
"Jodie lovingly allowed me to walk my own path and when I finally humbled myself to
ask for your help, I realized that the perky little blabbermouth had become the master of
wisdom and was right by my side during some of the most difficult days of my life."
When Stamos presented the Writers in Treatment's Award to Jodie Sweetin, he admitted,
"Thank god, my wife and my new son will only know
me as a sober husband and father. This is Jodie's legacy in my life."
As it turns out, Sweetin was reportedly the one who put together 12-step meetings for her
on-screen uncle while they were filming Fuller House. In response to his praise, she shared,
"John, I’m so proud of you and it’s been the greatest
thing to watch someone that you love have the light come back on again."
There's nothing more exciting than taking your skills to the next level. And in 2016, Jodie
Sweetin did just that as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars. Partnered with Keo Motsepe,
Sweetin proved that she was no longer the little girl that we saw growing up in the 80s and 90s.
She performed routines like the tango, paso doble, and foxtrot. And naturally enough,
her Full House family was right beside her as she was living life
to the fullest on the dance floor, and that very much included John Stamos.
Sweetin's castmates came to see her perform periodically, and Stamos also took to Twitter
to urge his 1.6 million followers to vote for his TV niece. As he informed them,
"1-800-868-3405 is the toll free number to vote for #TeamMoSweet !!!"
His sentiment was echoed by fellow Full House castmate Lori Loughlin, who tweeted,
"[Dancing with the Stars] off to a good start! Can't wait for my girl [Jodie Sweetin] to dance!!"
"It was really sweet to see them come out and share so much love,
you know, a-and, and be my family."
Do you remember when you were five years old, running around a playground covered
in mud and getting little cuts and bruises all over your body? Well,
Jodie Sweetin was in an entirely different world at that age, as she was of course
bringing Stephanie Tanner to life on Full House. Yes indeed, she was only five when
the show first got rolling, so to say that she grew up on set is a bit of an understatement.
And while most of us probably swoon at photos of young John Stamos,
Sweetin remembers a far different guy who used to show up to set looking
rather disheveled. As she admitted on the podcast Allison Interviews in 2021,
"I've seen [John] roll into work in old t-shirts and sweatpants
with holes in them, not looking all that cute."
Thanks to those early San Francisco days on Full House, Sweetin and Stamos share a unique bond,
as they were the only two stars of the show that didn't audition for their
parts. As creator Jeff Franklin revealed to Variety, Sweetin's performance on an episode
of the sitcom Valerie scored her the role without a second thought. And meanwhile,
Stamos was the only person that Franklin had in mind for Uncle Jesse.
In a 2019 Instagram post, Stamos praised Jodie Sweetin once again by writing,
"Who knew this little blonde scene-stealer in a side [ponytail] would grow up and
change so many lives. (Mine included) Her sobriety is inspirational to say the least."
A few years later, Sweetin shared an adorable anecdote and addressed whether or not she ever
had a crush on her on-screen uncle. As she revealed on the podcast Allison Interviews,
"I've known John since I was 5 [...] He was always just John to me. I know
him too well to think he's hot. He's a big dork and I love him."
So, when rumors started to circulate that Stamos and Sweetin had slept together in the past,
Sweetin's response was unsurprising. In 2018, she posted an adorable throwback
photo on Instagram of the two of them, along with the caption,
"My, my ... we've made quite the memories these last 30+ years! I can't believe you're about 10
years younger than I am currently in this photo!! We were babies! (Well, I actually was ... haha)."
One person in the comments then brought up the rumor about Stamos
and Sweetin sleeping together, to which she quickly responded,
"Hahahah ... um ... what?! Yeah ... that's def not true."
Thankfully, that rumor died down quickly after Sweetin's candid response.
"Have mercy!"
When you have a new romantic partner, nothing is more important than the approval of your friends
and family. So since Jodie Sweetin and John Stamos are pretty much the definition of friends
who have become family, it's no wonder that her approval in this area means a great deal to him.
Back in 2016, he crossed paths with actress-model Caitlin McHugh, and sparks flew between the two
of them. That's all well and good, but what did Jodie Sweetin have to say about all this?
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, she sweetly gushed about McHugh and revealed that she
and the rest of the Full House crew were inviting her into the fold with open arms. As she put it:
"I actually met her a couple days ago. She is delightful… They're adorable,
and we really like her."
So was Sweetin's approval a sign of good tidings? Clearly yes,
as Stamos and McHugh tied the knot just two years later in a beautiful California ceremony.
“She’s really sweet and she’s– we are welcoming her into the family.”
While pregnant with their first child, McHugh looked radiant, and Stamos was beaming on the
big day. After getting legally married at the Little Brown Church in Studio City,
the newlyweds celebrated with their friends and families at Stamos' home.
Shortly after John Stamos and Caitlin McHugh tied the knot,
they welcomed their son Billy into the family fold. In an interview with People Magazine,
Stamos admitted that he initially didn't think that he was "deserving" of such
familial happiness. But after getting sober, he soon realized that he wanted to step up to
the plate. Cue the arrival of Billy, who clearly keeps his parents on their toes.
While Stamos is 18 years older than Jodie Sweetin, she welcomed kids earlier in life,
which was good news for Stamos, as he was able to turn to his on-screen niece for advice. During
a 2022 appearance on her podcast Never Thought I'd Say This, Stamos and McHugh clearly needed
a helping hand with their rambunctious kiddo, so he asked Sweetin point blank:
"Can we ask you one quick question [...] about parenting,
how do you keep them alive? [...] [Billy is] trying to kill himself and kill us."
McHugh then offered this sarcastic description of their parenting situation:
"Murder-suicide watch."
"That's right."
Sweetin sweetly responded that parenthood is a combo
of "luck," "magic" and "oh s--- moments." Surely, every parent out there can agree.
Nothing brings people together like tragedy, and to say that Bob Saget's sudden death was
a devastating blow to the people who loved him is an understatement. On January 9,
2022, Saget was found unresponsive in his Orlando,
Florida hotel room. It was later discovered that he'd suffered accidental blunt head trauma.
In the immediate aftermath, the cast of Full House released a statement
along with a photo of the gang together on John Stamos' Instagram that included
Stamos and Jodie Sweetin smiling side by side. As the caption put it,
"Thirty-five years ago, we came together as a TV family, but we became a real family. And now we
grieve as a family. Bob made us laugh until we cried. Now our tears flow in sadness, but also
with gratitude for all the beautiful memories of our sweet, kind, hilarious, cherished Bob. He was
a brother to us guys, a father to us girls and a friend to all of us. Bob, we love you dearly."