Erin Jensen

USAToday

Chachi is showing love for Joanie.

Monday evening, Scott Baio took to Facebook to clarify seemingly insensitive statements he made about his co-star Erin Moran's passing.

"I’m OK, a little shocked but not completely shocked that this happened," he said Monday morning on 77 WABC Radio's The Bernie and Sid Show . "But my thing really is, I feel bad because her whole life, she was troubled, could never find what made her happy and content. For me, you do drugs or drink, you’re gonna die, and I’m sorry if that’s cold, but God gave you a brain, gave you the will to live and thrive and you gotta take care of yourself. I'm sorry. You just have to.

"And I'm saddened by what happened," he continued, "and I don't know if it was drugs that killed her. I mean I read one report that it might have been and I hope it... you know, I don't know what I hope, but it is what it is."

While a statement released by authorities Monday said an autopsy concluded that the actress "likely succumbed to complications of stage 4 cancer," Baio explained in his social media post that at the time, he was still under the impression drugs were the culprit.

"The Internet and television stations were blasting headlines 'Erin Moran died due to a heroin overdose,'" he wrote. "This made me very upset and angry. This is one of my worse (sic) fears for her, or anyone else."

Baio, who had commented on social media that critics were being especially hard on him because he's an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump, argued that the press had the timeline wrong.

"They're stating that I'm saying drugs caused her to die after it was reported stage 4 cancer," he wrote. "This is so wrong! Now I truly understand the meaning of 'Fake News.'"

Baio also opened up about his grief for his Joanie Loves Chachi co-star.

"Erin was my very first real girlfriend," he said. "My wife and Erin contacted each other and spoke often for over a decade. I even had her on my reality show (Scott Baio Is 45... And Single) years ago. I DID reach out to her over a span of 30 years.

"Please stop assuming the worse (sic) in me," he continued. "I'm a compassionate person. I'm very heartbroken over her passing, especially since it was cancer."

You can read Baio's full statement on his Facebook page.

Baio’s representatives did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.