Despite reports of a “Good Samaritan” bailing Gary Coleman out of jail, two producers are claiming they’re responsible for Coleman’s freedom as part of a trade-off involving video of the actor’s genitals.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Coleman fan Jarrod Clarke says he put up the $1,725 for the actor’s release.

“I’m just a Good Samaritan, I guess,” he told the newspaper. “He just had a sad [mug shot] picture.”

…

Yet two filmmakers are telling a “diff’rent” story. In a statement, the producers say the “Diff’rent Strokes” actor OK’d nude footage to appear in a forthcoming straight-to-DVD mockumentary in exchange for bail.

“The footage in question occurred during an improvised moment in a shower scene when Mr. Coleman attempted to break up a fight between two little people,” the producers said in a statement.

“During the scuffle, Mr. Coleman’s robe split open to reveal more than he had planned. The producers stand behind their position that Mr. Coleman signed multiple documents allowing any and all footage, including both scripted and unscripted moments, to appear in the film. The producers simply agreed to bail out Mr. Coleman as an ‘olive branch’ and to avoid any potential litigation,” the producers said in the statement….

[full story at NBCLosAngeles, emphasis totes mine]

It should go without saying that if the second story is true, the people behind Coleman’s release are terrible, terrible people. Yeah, they’ll probably make back their $1725 investment tenfold, possibly fifteenfold, but they’ll forever be known as the guys who forced one of America’s former child stars to pull a Coco. Worse: Coleman was a beloved child star — not like that unbeloved Linda Blair [NSFW], who willingly chose to drop her top for Oui or whatever.

I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t live with all that on my head.