Corey Feldman alleged Monday that he was molested in the 1980s by a current Los Angeles Dodgers’ employee who “ran a child’s club in Hollywood” at the time.
“The Goonies” actor would not name the alleged abuser, citing security fears and possible legal repercussions, but said the man was one of two people who sexually abused him when he was a Hollywood child star three decades ago.
“I’ve told these names to the police,” Feldman said during an appearance on NBC’s “Megyn Kelly Today” on Monday. “I’ve told the names to investigative reporters. Nobody’s ever put it out there.”
Feldman said he identified the alleged abusers in 1993 to law enforcement officials in Santa Barbara, California, while they interrogated him about sexual abuse allegations against Michael Jackson. (Feldman has denied that Jackson was a pedophile.)
The officials told Feldman that his alleged molestation took place outside their jurisdiction and he should follow up with the Los Angeles Police Department, Feldman said. But he did not, out of fear of being “scolded” and “shamed.”
Joshua Morton, a spokesman for the Santa Barbara Police Department, told HuffPost on Tuesday that Feldman never contacted his department “regarding any incidents or allegations.”
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, which was involved in the Jackson investigation in 1993, also denied Feldman’s claim.
“We are aware of the statements that Mr. Feldman is making regarding an investigation in 1993,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement to HuffPost. “Our records do not indicate that he named any suspects. If he has any information regarding a crime or crimes that occurred, we encourage him to contact our office or his local law enforcement agency.”
Representatives for both Feldman and the Dodgers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Feldman has publicly identified former child talent manager and convicted sex offender Marty Weiss as one of his former abusers. He said he would be “happy” to name five other alleged abusers once he gets legal representation.
“Believe me, I would love the pain to stop today,” Feldman said. “This is about creating a cycle of awareness. This is about opening people’s eyes and minds to the fact that this is a real problem.”
During an interview on NBC’s “Today” show earlier on Monday, Feldman said he planned to identify the abusers in a film about his alleged encounters with a Hollywood pedophile ring, but first needed to meet his $10 million crowdfund campaign goal in order to make the movie. Feldman launched his campaign last week on Indiegogo and said the sum would cover the cost of the film as well as his legal and physical protection.
Feldman has said that he and “Two Corey’s” co-star Corey Haim, who died in 2010, were both sexually abused in the 1980s. The publishers of Feldman’s 2013 memoir, Coreyography, wouldn’t allow him to publish the names of some of the abusers, he said.
When “Today” host Matt Lauer asked Feldman why he’d decided to produce a movie about his experience instead of just naming the alleged abusers, Feldman claimed a statute of limitations in California has deterred him from going to the police again.
“I’m taking the matter into my own hands,” Feldman said. “This is why I need America’s support ― I need the world’s support. I must make a movie without an executive ... I’m going to self-distribute, self-market, make the film, and hire a team of attorneys who are going to protect me and the film when everybody comes at me.”
“There are thousands of people in Hollywood who have the same information,” he added. “Why is it all on me? ... I’m the victim here. I’m the one who’s been abused. I’m the one who’s trying to come forward and do something about it.”
Feldman’s crowdfunding campaign had raised roughly $160,000 by Monday morning. But it has its critics, including Judy Haim, Corey Haim’s mother, who has butted heads with Feldman in the past.
“[Feldman has] been talking about revealing the names of his and other abusers for seven years, since my son died,” Judy Haim told The Hollywood Reporter. “Now he wants $10 million to do it? Come on. It’s a long con. He’s a scam artist. If he was serious about this, he’d share the information he has with the police.”
Feldman fired back Saturday on Twitter, calling Haim a “bad woman.”
Feldman said on Monday that sexual misconduct allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein are “just the tip of the iceberg” when it comes to high-powered Hollywood executives engaging in sex abuse.
“I believe there’s a lot of darkness in Hollywood right now,” Feldman said. “And I believe it’s been there for some time.”
“As we’ve seen with the Harvey Weinstein scandal, it continues to unfold,” he said. “This is just the beginning. ... So everything you’re seeing is building up to what I believe is going to be a dam-breaking opus.”
This story has been updated with details about Feldman’s alleged interaction with the Santa Barbara Police Department in 1993, as well as statements from the Santa Barbara Police Department and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.