Stephen Collins' Lawyer and '7th Heaven' Costar Speak Out About TV Pastor's Child Molestation Reports as Networks Yank Show
Stephen Collins' lawyer and a former "7th Heaven" costar spoke out about the explosive child molestation allegations surrounding the actor.
Mark Vincent Kaplan, who represents Collins, slammed the former TV pastor's estranged wife for allegedly trying to extort money out of him. Faye Grant, who is embroiled in a bitter divorce with Collins, reportedly secretly taped his child molestation confession during a therapy session and on Tuesday the recording surfaced online.
In an audio tape obtained by celebrity gossip website TMZ.com, Collins, 67, reportedly admits to inappropriately touching and/or exposing himself to several underage girls.
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Kaplan claims Grant used the tape against Collins for years and that her motives in releasing them are purely financial.
"Over the course of my representation of Stephen in the divorce case, Faye has repeatedly threatened to give this audiotape to the media unless Stephen agreed to pay her millions of dollars more than that to which she was legally entitled," Kaplan told TMZ. "Though we would like to address the tape itself, the circumstances dictate that we must regrettably refrain from doing so at this time."
Collins rose to stardom in the 1990s as the wholesome family man Reverend Eric Camden on "7th Heaven," a hit TV show about a pastor and his wife.
Catherine Hicks, who played Collins' wife Annie Camden on the show, came to his defense.
"Stephen is a good guy in my opinion," Hicks said.
Shortly after news broke of the child molestation allegations two TV networks, UP TV and TV Guide Network, pulled the long-running drama series from their schedules.
Collins resigned from the National Board of the Screen Actors Guild and in addition was fired from "Ted 2" in the wake of child sex abuse reports.
He was also abruptly removed from the The Committee for Stress-Free Schools' website, where he had previously been listed as a national co-director. The Committee for Stress-Free Schools is a part of global charity The David Lynch Foundation.
The NYPD currently has possession of the audio tape and authorities confirmed that an investigation is underway involving "at least 3 victims." The nature of the investigation is said to be "inappropriate sexual contact with minors," reported TMZ.
At one particular moment in the recording, Collins recounts molesting an 11-year-old New York girl, who is a relative of his first wife Marjorie Weinman.
"There was one moment of touching where her hand, I put her hand on my penis," Collins is heard saying before going on to admit to exposing himself to her "a couple of times" over three years.
Grant, who could not be reached for comment, can be heard asking Collins "when you exposed yourself ... did you have an erection?" To which he replies "No, I mean, no. Partial, maybe I think."
The young girl is said to have reported the assault back in 2012, however, it is unclear what exactly the outcome was. Also in the recordings, Collins reportedly admits to molesting another young girl aged between 12-13 in Los Angeles and he claims to have already apologized to her for the assault.
Collins shares an adult daughter with his first wife Marjorie Weinman.
