John Stamos opens up about 'shattering' divorce from Rebecca Romijn, childhood sexual assault

John Stamos is opening up about the struggles he faced behind the glitz and glam of fame as a TV star.

In an interview with People magazine published Wednesday, the "General Hospital" and "Full House" actor, 60, shared experiences from his life he's kept private until deciding to share them in his upcoming memoir, "If You Would Have Told Me."

"I did set out to write a hero story, but then as I was doing it I was like, 'No, I'm going to tell a human story,'" Stamos told the outlet.

The revelations featured in his memoir include the toll his first marriage with actor and former model, Rebecca Romijn, took on him ("I really started to kind of drink a lot," he said) and being sexually abused as a child by a former babysitter ("But I packed it away as people do, right?" he told People), among others.

"If You Would Have Told Me" is out Tuesday.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

John Stamos 'hated' Rebecca Romijn after their divorce

It took a while – "years and years" – for Stamos to heal from his divorce. The couple married in 1998 and divorced six years later.

"My first marriage was shattering to me. I was shattered for way too long, too," he told People. "In my mind back then, she was the devil, and I just hated her. I couldn't believe how much I hated her, and it ruined my life."

The actor's road to healing from the split was "not healthy," he said, admitting that he began leaning on alcohol to cope.

He also said he believes their career trajectories played a part in their breakup. "It was very much the opinion that she dumped me because her career was going great and mine wasn't, and that's humiliating," Stamos said. "I don't blame her for it. It was just the perception that people took, and maybe they weren't wrong. She was doing great at that time and I wasn't."

Eventually, he realized, "Oh, she wasn't the devil. Maybe I was as much to blame as her."

Now, he's grateful for how the experience shaped him. Stamos is now married to fellow actor Caitlin McHugh and they share a 5-year-old son, Billy.

"Without that, I never would've known what a real love is, and I would've never straightened up to get someone like Caitlin in my life," Stamos said. "If I didn't go through all the things, all the heartache, I wouldn't be who I am today. That's what I hope people take away from it."

He hated filming 'Full House' at first:John Stamos recalls nearly quitting after feeling 'upstaged' by Jodie Sweetin

John Stamos 'packed away' memory of childhood sexual assault

It was also while writing his memoir that Stamos came to terms with the sexual misconduct he said he experienced from a former babysitter when he was 10 or 11 years old.

"I felt like, I remembered it slightly. It has always been there, but I packed it away as people do, right?" he told People. At the time, "I think I told myself, like, 'Ah, it's girls, man,'" he said, noting he didn't tell anyone about the alleged sexual assault.

The memories have come back up in adulthood, however, including while he was writing an acceptance speech for an award he received for his advocacy for abused children.

Stamos has been a celebrity ambassador for the nonprofit Childhelp for 20 years, according to the organization's website. It is dedicated to the "prevention and treatment of child abuse" and offers live chat as well as a 24/7 hotline for those seeking help or resources.

"It was a page or something, but I felt I had to talk about it," he said of including the experience in his memoir. "I shouldn't have had to deal with those feelings."

7 memoirs to read this year:Elliot Page, Jada Pinkett Smith and more

If you are a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE & online.rainn.org).