Three of the actors who performed kids on the TV present “seventh Heaven” discuss their former TV dad, Stephen Collins.
In July, Beverley Mitchell, David Gallagher and Mackenzie Rosman
launched theirs “Keeping Up with the Camdens” podcast, during which they element their experiences rising up on the WB set. They opened Monday’s episode, the primary in a sequence of “seventh Heaven” rewatches, with a statement about sexual misconduct by Collins with three underage ladies earlier than filming the present – acts he publicly admitted to in 2014.
“We need you to know that we see all of your feedback and we all know how excited you all are for the rewatch, however earlier than we get into that we expect it is necessary to say one thing about Stephen Collins,” Mitchell, who performed Lucy. on the present, he began the phase.
“All types of abuse, sexual abuse of any variety, are unforgivable. And victims of abuse have to be proven compassion and assist,” continued Gallagher.
David Gallagher, left, and Barry Watson in an episode of “seventh Heaven.”
(Paul McCallum/The WB)
Detectives in New York and Los Angeles started investigating Collins in 2012 after his second spouse Faye Grant informed police in these cities that he might have sexually abused underage ladies. The investigation was made public two years later, later an audio recording emerged during which a person presupposed to be Collins confessed to sexually abusing three ladies.
The actor later confirmed People which was his voice on the recording, made throughout a 2012 remedy session along with his then-ex-wife. (The couple separated in 2012 and finalized their divorce in 2015.)
Collins recounted incidents that occurred in 1973, 1982 and 1994, The occasions beforehand reported. At the time, the fictional former patriarch referred to as his actions “unforgivable,” saying he was “deeply remorseful for what occurred” and “(had) been working to atone for it ever since.”
When the forged discovered of the sexual abuse, they had been “equally stunned as everybody else,” Rosman stated The occasions final month, with Gallagher including that it “coloured the way in which all of us look negatively on the present.”
Collins was by no means prosecuted, because of the statute of limitations. However, after his public confession, he was fired from a number of appearing roles – together with in “Ted 2” – and reruns of “seventh Heaven” had been pulled from cable channel UP TV, which had aired the sequence 21 Hours every week. The actor additionally resigned from his seat on the SAG-AFTRA nationwide board.
Although the “Catching Up” hosts confirmed that none of them had ever had “inappropriate experiences” with Collins, in addition they made it clear that he would by no means be invited onto their podcast. Barry Watson (Matt Camden) has beforehand appeared as a visitor and upcoming episodes will function commentary from Catherine Hicks (Annie Camden).
“We don’t excuse or condone (Collins’) habits,” Mitchell stated. “Our hope for this podcast is to reconnect with you, our followers, to relive some ’90s nostalgia and share our fondest recollections of ‘seventh Heaven’.”
