Actor Scott Baio Flees CA Crime, Moves Family To Bradenton: Report

BRADENTON, FL — The Sarasota-Manatee area recently welcomed its newest celebrity resident. Actor Scott Baio and his wife, Renee Baio, moved their family to Bradenton this spring.

The “Happy Days” and “Charles in Charge” star left California after 45 years in the Los Angeles area, citing rising homelessness and crime as the reason for their departure.

His family is currently living in a Bradenton condo while waiting for their nearby home to be completed, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

"I chose Manatee County for various reasons," Renee told the newspaper. "It's close to Anna Maria Island, Siesta Key, and I love the small town feel and values of Manatee County and I support mom-and-pop businesses and would like to keep them thriving."

The couple listed their Woodland Hills, California, home for $3.85 million in March, according to Dirt.

On April 20, Scott tweeted a photo of himself with his wife on the beach and wrote, “Living our best life in Florida.”

He explained his reason for leaving Los Angeles in a May 3 tweet, writing, “After 45 years, I’m making my way to finally ‘exit stage right’ from California.”

In the tweet, he also shared data from a Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority survey, which found there are currently about 69,000 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County compared to 41,000 in 2022.

“This brings down property value. Also, no consequences for crime that is rampant, making things higher in price and it’s just not a safe place anymore,” Scott wrote in a separate tweet.

He told Jesse Watters with Fox News that while it’s “sad” to leave California, he’s watched the state devolve into a “third-world country” over the past few decades "between the homeless defecating on the sidewalk, doing drugs on the sidewalk in the middle of the day, illegal aliens all over the place, laws means nothing, crime is out of control, graffiti on everything and all my tax dollars I don't know what they go for.”

The actor noted that he didn’t want to leave Los Angeles but felt “forced out.”

In recent years, Scott has become known as an outspoken conservative and fervent supporter of former President Donald Trump. He even gave the opening speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention.

During that speech, he said the country was “in a bad spot,” adding, “We need Donald Trump to fix this,” according to Variety.

He lauded Trump, who he said was a “man doing this from the goodness of his heart … and genuinely wants to help.”

Scott also attacked Hilary Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate that year, saying that she “wants to continue the same policies that are wrecking this country” and that she “somehow feels entitled to the presidency.”