7th Heaven Stars Discuss Stephen Collins' History Of Sexual Abuse In New Rewatch Podcast — Watch Video
7th Heaven stars Beverley Mitchell, David Gallagher and Mackenzie Rosman — best known for their roles as Lucy, Simon and Ruthie Camden on the WB drama — are acknowledging the series' tarnished legacy as it relates to TV dad Stephen Collins, who in 2014 admitted to inappropriate conduct with three minors between 1973 and 1994.
Nearly three months after the launch of the "Catching Up With the Camdens" podcast, the trio are about to embark on a rewatch of the 11-season drama, and they begin their most recent episode by addressing the elephant in the room.
"We want you to know that we see all of your comments and we know how excited you all are for the rewatch," Mitchell begins. "But before we get into that, we do think it's important that we say something about Stephen Collins." That's when Gallagher interjects, adding, "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."
Adds Rosman: "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 did not have any inappropriate experiences with Stephen." Mitchell also makes it known that "Stephen will not be joining us on this podcast, and we do not excuse or condone his behavior. Our hope for this podcast is to reconnect with you, our fans," she says, "to relive some '90s nostalgia, and to share our fondest memories of 7th Heaven."
That said, "we know this is difficult, and we understand that it can be triggering," Gallagher points out. "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."
7th Heaven ran for 11 seasons — 10 seasons on The WB, and one fever dream of a season on The CW — between 1996 and 2007. Over the years, the series' ever-changing cast included Ashlee Simpson, Haylie Duff and future "Man of Steel" Tyler Hoechlin.
On the heels of its 20th anniversary in 2016, two years removed from Collins' admission, his TV wife Catherine Hicks said that she would participate in a reunion special... but "we would have to open with Stephen's coffin."