The entertainment industry was rocked by a stunning revelation when actor Stephen Collins, known for his role as the loving pastor on the hit TV show 7th Heaven, made a shocking confession to his estranged wife, Faye Grant. During one of their therapy sessions, Collins unburdened himself and admitted to past misconducts that left Grant reeling.
Prior to his 7th Heaven days, Collins had established himself as a seasoned actor with an impressive resumé that included appearances in All the President's Men and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He also appeared on the popular ABC Family show The Fosters, which revolved around a foster family and their young charges, as well as the post-apocalyptic drama Revolution.
Following the public backlash, Collins released a statement via Entertainment Weekly, expressing deep regret for the pain he caused and taking full responsibility for his actions. "I deeply regret the mistakes I've made and any pain I have caused... I admit to, apologize for, and take responsibility for what I did."
While Collins showed some remorse, it may not have been enough for his former 7th Heaven colleagues. Here's what they really think of him now...
What Is Catherine Hicks' Current Opinion Of Her Former Co-Star Stephen Collins?
In a move straight out of a feel-good episode of 7th Heaven, Stephen Collins' on-screen family has come out to support the embattled actor amid his recent controversy.
Collins' on-screen wife, Catherine Hicks, spoke to TMZ about the situation, saying that she had nothing to hide and nothing to say. "Stephen's a good guy, in my opinion," she added. Hicks was quick to dispel any notion that there had been any strange behavior on set, saying "Gosh, no!"
However, in a subsequent interview in 2016, Hicks jokingly stated that Collins' character would have to be dead for the cast to reunite. But in a more recent interview with TMZ, Hicks clarified her stance and expressed her love for her former co-stars, including Collins.
"I have no opinion on Stephen's culpability or not," Hicks said. "We all love each other, and if they did do a reunion, I'd just be happy to show up and see everyone, Stephen included."
While a reboot of the popular show now seems unlikely, Hicks emphasized that the values espoused on 7th Heaven – forgiveness, non-judgmentalism, humility – are as relevant as ever. As for Collins, Hicks simply stated that he seemed to be "nonexistent" in their lives these days.
What Is Barry Watson's Current Opinion Of Her Former Co-Star Stephen Collins?
During an interview with Michael Rosenbaum's Inside of You podcast, Barry Watson, who played Collins’ son, Matt Camden on 7th Heaven, revealed his thoughts about his on-screen father's controversy.
Rosenbaum asked Watson about the most shocking thing he ever heard, to which Watson replied, "You know, nothing shocks me, man. We were all so close, so, sure." Watson summed up what happened and how he felt, saying, "Stephen’s wife put him on tape and got him to talk about some things that he did… And he admitted to it. But it hurt because that was such a huge part of my life."
Despite playing his on-screen father, Watson revealed that Collins was more of a big brother figure to him in real life. However, Watson didn't suspect anything about Collins' past misconduct.
"No, no, no," Watson told Rosenbaum, "I mean, you know, he’d always talk about women I was dating and stuff like that, that were younger, but it was just sort of like asking how it was going."
Is Kyle Searles' Still Close With Stephen Collins?
Kyle Searles, who played the recurring character Mac on 7th Heaven from 2004 to 2007, has also come out in support of Stephen Collins. In a Skype video interview with TMZ, Searles described Collins as a father figure to him on set.
"On my way to work this morning, I listened to the audio you guys had played," Searles said. "It was a little shock. There was some confusion because that wasn't who I remembered. All I can do is tell you who he was whenever I worked with him. Never once had any type of encounter where he was a little inappropriate, nobody in the cast had ever come to me, nor was it ever an issue."
According to Searles, Collins was an upstanding human being and somebody that he looked up to. "Stephen was by far the most likable, influential, genuine person that I ever had the pleasure of working with," he said.
Searles also praised Collins for knowing everyone on set, not just the actors. "He knew everybody on set, all by their first name. He was definitely a father figure to everybody on set. I'm sure everybody working with him could attest the same way."
How Did Stephen Collins’ Controversy Affect His Former Co-Stars From 7th Heaven?
The controversy surrounding Stephen Collins has not only caused the removal of 7th Heaven reruns from two networks but also stopped residual checks for the show's cast.
Although the cast revealed what it was like to be in 7th Heaven, Caryn Moss, the manager, and mother of child actors Niki and Sam Saletta, who were the two child actors in the show, said that when the reruns stopped airing, the residual paychecks stopped too.
Niki, who played Deena Stewart on 18 episodes, and Sam, who played George Camden on six episodes of 7th Heaven, would feel the impact. Although residuals for non-starring roles may be small, they are known as "mailbox money" in the industry.
The TV Guide Network and UP TV were the last two channels airing the show in the US and have now dropped it due to Collins' taped confession of his misconduct.
UP TV President Charley Humbard told Us Weekly in a statement, "As a top family-friendly network, we are deeply concerned for the families that are potentially affected by these disturbing allegations surrounding actor Stephen Collins. 7th Heaven has been a beloved family show and a fan-favorite on our network. We have made the decision to remove the series from our schedule…"
Regarding Collins' confessions, Moss admitted that she did not have any concerns about her children's safety on set and never saw anything suspicious about Collins.
