James Ransone celebrated as hero in unexpected tribute: ‘So grateful that this man existed’

James Ransone once saved a woman from being sexually assaulted and the survivor has now come forward with her story following the tragic news of the actor’s death by suicide.

Named Molly Watts, the survivor shared on Instagram that despite being “usually private”, she wanted to share her story “to publicly say I am so grateful that this man existed”.

“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,” her detailed caption began.

While her story revealed that when she was neighbours with Ransone in Chinatown, she was “attacked at the threshold of our building.”

“I screamed for help. No one came. My attacker put his hands around my throat so I would stop making noise. I couldn’t breathe,” Watts continued. “I remember the certainty that I was going to die or be raped as I was choked unconscious.”

Referring to the late actor as PJ, she added that he “heard my screams and ran to help,” — “He came running shirtless, carrying a bat or pipe — I’m not sure which, because I never saw him in action. He scared my attacker, who ran.”

The chase further alerted the authorities, who came to identify the culprit as “a repeat sexual offender.”

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

Watts further referenced Ransone’s own experience with the kind of situation he saved her from, writing that what she “was spared, he endured in a different form, at an age where there is no emotional defense, and the self is still forming.”

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

Molly Watts concluded her recollection by admitting that she regrets never reaching out to the It alum “to let him know how grateful I was that he ran towards my screams.”

She added a GoFundMe link for his children at the bottom of her caption.

James Ransone unfortunately passed away from suicide at the age of 46, December 19. He had been candid about his struggles with addiction and alleged childhood abuse in past interviews.