James Ransone’s Heroic Act: A Survivor Remembers and Honors His Impact After His Passing

James Ransone.
Credit :

Gary Gershoff/WireImage

NEED TO KNOW

• James Ransone saved a woman from sexual assault in 2006; now, the woman is breaking her silence in the wake of his death
• “I am so grateful that this man existed and don’t know if the trajectory of my life would be the same if he hadn’t,” Molly Watts wrote in an Instagram post shared on Tuesday, Dec. 23
• The late actor died by suicide on Friday, Dec. 19, at the age of 46

James Ransone is being remembered as a hero following his death.

On December 23, Molly Watts shared on Instagram that the late actor had rescued her from sexual assault outside his New York apartment in 2006.

Watts expressed her gratitude, stating, “I found out yesterday that @jamesransone died. I’m usually private but I want to publicly say I am so grateful that this man existed and don’t know if the trajectory of my life would be the same if he hadn’t.”

She recounted that they were neighbors in Chinatown when she was attacked outside their building, crying out for help without anyone coming to her aid.

James Ransone.

Jon Kopaloff/Getty

Watts remembered the terrifying moments, saying, “My attacker put his hands around my throat so I would stop making noise. I couldn’t breathe. I remember the certainty that I was going to die or be raped as I was choked unconscious.”

According to Watts, “PJ (Ransone’s nickname) heard my screams and ran to help. He came running shirtless, carrying a bat or pipe… He scared my attacker, who ran. PJ chased him to the building he fled to. Because of the chase, the police were able to identify him, a repeat sexual offender.”

“PJ saved me,” she reflected. “I’m not sure if I would have the same life if he hadn’t run down that night.”

James Ransone.

Emma McIntyre/FilmMagic

Ransone had previously recounted the dramatic incident on several platforms, including the Jim and Sam Show in 2016. He shared, “I was watching TV with my then-girlfriend at the time. I was in just pajama bottoms. It was like April, and it was raining a little bit. And I hear this scream for help… I run.”

On December 19, Ransone passed away by suicide at the age of 46. He had openly discussed his struggles with addiction and alleged childhood abuse in various interviews.

In her tribute, Watts expressed her sorrow regarding Ransone’s struggles: “What’s especially hard for me with PJ’s passing is that he lived with that kind of violence. What I was spared, he endured in a different form.”

“I sense that PJ’s life was haunted by what happened to him then,” she continued. “This world is rarely gentle to people who are hurt, vulnerable, acting out.”

Watts concluded, “Over the years, I have thought of PJ… I wanted to reach out to him to let him know how grateful I was that he ran towards my screams. I didn’t. I regret that.”

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