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‘Deadliest Catch’ star accused of molesting daughter

SEATTLE, WA (WFLA) – The estranged daughter of “Deadliest Catch” star Sig Hansen is accusing her father of molesting her as a child, according to court documents obtained by the Seattle Times.

Melissa Eckstrom, now 28, says her father sexually abused her when she was age 2, after he had separated from her mother.

“I have memories … of being in a room alone with my father and crying out in pain,” Eckstrom stated in the documents.

Eckstrom, an attorney, claims she’s dealt with eating disorders, depression and suicidal thoughts since the alleged abuse occurred.

Her lawsuit, filed last year, contains various records used to support her claims including medical findings, a therapist evaluation and caseworker findings from when her parents divorced.

It also includes a letter the County Deputy Prosecutors office sent in 1990 which states they could “not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt,” but clarified that doesn’t necessarily mean they didn’t believe Eckstrom’s  allegations.

A judge at the time ruled the reality star did not commit abuse after a court-appointed psychiatrist said “the probability of (Melissa Eckstrom) having been sexually abused by her father is extremely low,” the court findings stated.

Hansen, who has been featured in all seasons of the documentary television series “Deadliest Catch” as a no-nonsense captain on the Seattle-based fishing vessel “The Northwestern” – adamantly denies these claims.

“It’s a completely frivolous lawsuit full of lies that my ex-wife made up to take away my daughter, and still uses to try to extort money from me,” he said in a recent interview. “It’s blackmail.”

The case remains in legal limbo as a judge tries to determine whether a past ruling will allow the lawsuit to go to trial.