Beverley Mitchell, David Gallagher and Mackenzie Rosman, best known for their roles of Lucy, Simon and Ruthie respectively in ‘7th Heaven’, speak about their former TV father, Stephen Collins.
During the September 23 episode of their new rewatch podcast, “Catching Up With the Camdens,” the group opened up the YouTube version of the episode with an explanation. While this isn’t the first episode of the podcast, this is the first time they revisit “7th Heaven,” which aired on The WB (and later The CW) for eleven seasons from 1996 to 2007. The series also starred Jessica Biel, Barry Watson and Catherine Hicks.
“We want you to know that we see all your reactions and we know how excited you all are about the rewatch, but before we get into that, we think it’s important that we say something about Stephen Collins,” Mitchell. Gallagher added: “All forms of abuse, sexual abuse of any kind, are inexcusable. And victims of abuse need to show compassion and receive support.”
Rosman continued, “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, but we want to be clear that we have no inappropriate experiences with Stephen had. ”
In 2014, Collins, best known for his role as Pastor Eric Camden in the family drama, admitted to engaging in “inappropriate sexual conduct with three female minors” in 1973, 1982 and 1994. In turn, he was fired from multiple acting roles and reruns of “7th Heaven” were taken off the air at the time. He also resigned from his spot on the SAG-AFTRA board.
While many of the show’s previous stars will appear on the podcast, Collins will not, Mitchell added. “We do not excuse or tolerate his behavior. Our hope for this podcast is to reconnect with you, our fans, to relive ’90s nostalgia and share our fondest memories of ‘7th Heaven,’” she said.
Gallagher concluded the statement, telling viewers: “We know this is hard and we understand it can be triggering, but we want to say that we love you and we are so grateful for all the love and support that you, our community, have shown us. So hopefully you’ll stay with us as we continue this journey.
Watch the full episode below: