Scott Baio, Nicole Eggert At War in Dueling News Conferences

Nicole Eggert's co-star, Alexander Polinsky, will hold a news conference today addressing what his lawyer, Lisa Bloom, calls "the sexual harassment abuse he alleges against the actor Scott Baio," and Baio's team is declaring all-out war, saying they will expose Eggert, Polinsky and Bloom as "sleaze mongers."

Bloom's news conference is scheduled for 9:30 AM PT. It's unclear why Polinsky has lawyered up ... whether he has a claim against Baio. The press release has been interpreted by some outlets as Polinsky alleging sexual abuse, but that seems to be a leap because, as we reported, he met with LAPD detectives last week to describe alleged abuse he witnessed.

As for Baio ... his news conference is scheduled for 2 PM PT at his lawyer's office. His spokesperson, Brian Glicklich, tells TMZ, "Nicole Eggert, Alexander Polinsky and their attorney have brought a media circus to town, complete with false allegations, misleading insinuations, and pure sleaze mongering. If they wish to have a public conversation about their histories and motives, it will present a very different picture of why they are making these allegations."

We don't know if Baio will be at his lawyer's news conference.