'80s Star Explains Support of Kyle Rittenhouse

Ricky Schroder donated 'hundreds of thousands' to teen's bond
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 25, 2020 3:45 AM CST
'This Boy Is Innocent,' Says '80s Star of Kyle Rittenhouse
In this Jan. 5, 2017, file photo, Ricky Schroder attends the "AUDIENCE Documentaries" panel at the Direct TV portion of the 2017 Winter Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, Calif.   (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

Silver Spoons star Ricky Schroder donated "hundreds of thousands," he says, to help get accused Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse out of jail. Now, the former 1980s child star (who's been getting lots of online threats, per TMZ) explains that decision to the New York Post. "It made me mad,” Schroder says of the 17-year-old's situation. “This boy is innocent and he will be proven innocent. I did what any father should’ve done, and that’s get a kid out of jail that doesn’t deserve to be there.” Rittenhouse, who is accused of fatally shooting two protesters, "wasn’t there to stop the protests,” Schroder says, calling the incident "a clear case of self-defense." “He was there to defend property from chaos."

He, of course, brought his gun along to do so; Schroder is a longtime NRA member and gun rights advocate. He also has some experience getting bad press; he was arrested last year for allegedly hitting his girlfriend, but the charges were ultimately dismissed. "It sucked because everybody thought I was a woman beater, and I’m not a woman beater,” Schroder explains. “I was tried and convicted in the court of the media. But you have to understand, that’s only my reputation that was being destroyed. This was Kyle’s life being destroyed. This is his freedom at risk. It infuriated me to see an innocent 17-year-old young man being tried and found guilty before trial.” (More Kyle Rittenhouse stories.)

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