THE 7th Heaven child actors are all adults. When remembering the program, this also means remembering
In 2014, Stephen Collins sexual abuse scandal horrified his former fans.
The actor, most famous for his roles in 7th Heaven and in Star Trek: the movieconfessed to sexual misconduct against several underage girls.
Now, actors who worked with him as a child are discussing his role in the series – and denying his crimes.
‘7th Heaven’ Alums Are Very Aware of Stephen Collins’ Confession
Mackenzie Rosman, David Gallagher and Beverley Mitchell played Ruthie Camden, Simon Camden and Lucy Camden, respectively, in 7th Heaven.
They were among the children at the Camden house, where disgraced former actor Stephen Collins played their father, a preacher named Eric Camden.
Jessica Biel is certainly the most famous 7th Heaven alum, followed by Gallagher (which can be better known for voicing Riku in the international hit, Kingdom Hearts). Stephen Collins is by far the most famous member of 7th Heaven cast… which says a lot, given that a recurring love interest on the series founded a cult.
David Gallagher, Beverley Mitchell and Mackenzie Rosman are all adults in their 30s and 40s. As you can see in the video below, they have a retelling podcast, Catching up with the Camdens.
On the September 23 episode of the podcast, the actors talked about how they know fans and commentators have complex feelings about the show. Sometimes an actor does something so bad that even seeing their face on screen is enough to make someone reconsider a rewatch. This is even more true for survivors, who may relive their own trauma.
With that in mind, the three former 7th Heaven the children stated that they would never make excuses for Stephen Collins.
It would be ‘impossible’ to discuss ‘7th Heaven’ without mentioning Stephen Collins
“All forms of abuse, sexual abuse of any kind, are inexcusable, and victims of abuse need to be shown compassion and supported,” emphasized David Gallagher.
“It would be impossible not to talk about Stephen, as he was such an important part of the show and our lives,” acknowledged Mackenzie Rosman. “But we want to be clear: we did not have any inappropriate experiences with Stephen.”
Beverley Mitchell added that they “do not excuse or condone his behavior”. Still, they want to discuss the show with fans — even with their former co-star’s inherent weirdness.
“We know this is difficult and we understand it can be triggering,” Gallagher acknowledged. “But we just wanted to say we love you.”
It is not surprising to hear that none of the 7th Heaven actors had different experiences from those Victims of Stephen Collins. We all know that some predators have used the workplace, including the entertainment industry, to find potential victims.
However, many others avoid targeting the people they work with. Predators who avoid famous victims can reduce their chances of being caught. It also allows them to point to non-victims to cast doubt on their accusers. An alarming number of people feel compelled to “If I were a monster, I would have gone after every potential victim, so I’m innocent.”
As for Stephen Collins…
Stephen Collins had a long career that ended abruptly in 2014. An audio recording made by his ex-wife Faye Grant included his admission of sexual contact with a girl under the age of 14.
He later produced an interview, confessing to “inappropriate conduct with three minors” between the 1970s and 1990s.
The coolest thing you could say about Stephen Collins is that he didn’t try to deny it after the audio recording became public. However, honesty and knowledge that his conduct is inexcusable are not mitigating factors.