‘7th Heaven’ Cast Speaks Out About Stephen Collins in Rewatch Podcast
If you’re a fan of the nostalgic ’90s show 7th Heaven, some of its stars have a special treat for you. Not only does the cast regularly reunite at ’90s fan conventions but three of the stars are now hosting a new podcast called Catching Up with the Camdens, where they will rewatch each episode and share behind-the-scenes stories. Beverley Mitchell, David Gallagher and Mackenzie Rosman recently launched the podcast and will be joined by several of the show’s stars in certain episodes, except Stephen Collins.
The trio opened up in the pilot episode about the controversy surrounding Collins. In 2014, he admitted to sexually abusing three minors in the past after recordings during a therapy session were leaked and has since stayed out of the public eye. While his castmates admitted that Collins did not abuse them, they know talking about him may be traumatic to some listeners.
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Mitchell explained, “Before we get into this episode, we want you to know that we see all of your comments and we know how excited you all are for the rewatch, so that’s exactly what we’re going to do. But before we get into that we do think it’s important that we say something about Stephen Collins.”
Gallagher added, “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,” while Rosman concluded, “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.”
James Sorenson/Spelling Prod./ Everett Collection
They also confirmed that he will not be a part of the podcast in any way and they are not excusing or condoning his behavior. They added that they know it can be triggering but they just want to reconnect with fans and share some of their fondest memories of the show. 7th Heaven followed the family of seven: Reverend Eric Camden (Collins), his wife Annie (Catherine Hicks) and their children Matt (Barry Watson), Mary (Jessica Biel), Lucy (Mitchell), Simon (Gallagher) and Ruthie (Rosman). It ran from 1996 to 2007. Listen to the podcast here. Let us know what you think about the show, the podcast or the controversy!
February 2021
1990s Rom-Coms
Pop some popcorn and cozy up to feel-good movies and TV shows from a generation ago.
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