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7th Heaven stars Beverley Mitchell, David Gallagher and Mackenzie Rosman have spoken out about the “inexcusable” behavior of their former co-star Stephen Collins.
The actors, who portrayed three of Collins’s seven TV children on the hit family drama, addressed his past sexual abuse scandal on the latest episode of their 7th Heaven rewatch podcast, Catching Up With The Camdens.
“We want you to know that we see all of your comments and we know how excited you all are for the rewatch, but before we get into that we do think it’s important that we say something about Stephen Collins,” began Mitchell, 43, who played the headstrong Lucy Camden.
The trio first launched the rewatch podcast back in July; however, the September 23 episode marks the first where they revisited the show’s pilot to share behind-the-scenes memories.
Gallagher, 39, who starred as conscientious Simon Camden, continued: “All forms of abuse, sexual abuse of any kind, it’s inexcusable. And victims of abuse need to be shown compassion and they should be given support.”
“As we rewatch these episodes, it would be impossible not to talk about Stephen because he was such a big part of the show and our lives,” added Rosman, 34, who played spunky Ruthie Camden. She went on to clarify that none of them had “any inappropriate experiences with Stephen.”
Mitchell assured listeners that Collins will not be joining the podcast. “We do not excuse or condone his behavior. Our hope for this podcast is to reconnect with you, our fans, to relive some Ninetiess nostalgia and to share our fondest memories of 7th Heaven,” she said.
“We know this is difficult and we understand that it can be triggering,” Gallagher said. “But we want to say that we love you guys and we are so grateful for all the love and support that you, our community, have shown to us. So, hopefully you guys will stick with us as we continue on this journey.”
In 2014, Collins, who starred as Reverend Eric Camden in the 11-season drama that aired on The WB (now the CW) from 1996 to 2007, admitted to inappropriate sexual misconduct with three underage girls between 1973 and 1994.
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“Forty years ago, I did something terribly wrong that I deeply regret. I have been working to atone for it ever since,” he shared in a statement at the time. “I’ve decided to address these issues publicly because two months ago, various news organizations published a recording made by my then-wife, Faye Grant, during a confidential marriage therapy session in January, 2012. This session was recorded without the therapist’s or my knowledge or consent.”
He was subsequently dropped by his talent agency, and 7th Heaven reruns were pulled from two networks. Collins did not end up being prosecuted for his alleged crimes.
During an interview with Katie Couric at the time, he blamed his actions on “poor impulse control” but maintained: “I am not attracted to underage girls.”
Collins hasn’t acted since 2014, with his final credit being the voice of Howard Stark in a single episode of the animated series Avengers Assemble.
If you have been raped or sexually assaulted, you can contact your nearest Rape Crisis organisation for specialist, independent and confidential support. For more information, visit their website here.
