Exclusive ENQUIRER interview: Lassie star Jon Provost‘s shocking secret!
Jon – who played young Timmy Martin on the classic TV show – breaks a 40 year silence and discloses his innocence was destroyed forever by the man he considered his role model, Sal Mineo – James Dean‘s Rebel Without a Cause costar
"I was only 17 years old. It was the ’60s, and like everyone else, I began to be sexually curious, but with women – not men," Jon revealed. "I began a sexual relationship with Sal’s girlfriend Susan – with his blessing.
"One night Susan and I were together, and right in the middle of it all, Sal jumps into the bed and puts some ‘poppers’ (the drug amyl nitrate) under my nose to disorient me – and it worked!
"The room was spinning, my heart was racing, and I felt like my head was going to blow off. Sal was holding me down and trying to sexually assault me.
"I was almost incapacitated but still fought him off. I finally got out of his grip and got out of there, but I was furious. Our friendship was over."
Now 58, Provost – a naive 7-year-old boy when he began Lassie – reveals never-before-told details of his rocky ride as a child star in his published memoir Timmy’s in the Well: The Jon Provost Story.
"It’s important to tell this story about the effects of TV stardom on a child and the family," said Jon, whose book coincides with the 50th anniversary of his Lassie debut.
As an adult, the father of two fell into a deep depression and even contemplated suicide – but with the support of fans and fellow child stars, he emerged happier and wiser to tell his remarkable story.
