Revisiting Stephen Collins’ Child Sexual Abuse Scandal: From the Leaked Confession to Where He Is Now

Stephen Collins‘ child sexual abuse scandal ended his career but where is the 7th Heaven alum now?

Collins was a household name for his role as Reverend Eric Camden on 7th Heaven. The show, which aired from 1996 to 2007, followed a minister and his wife as they dealt with the drama of raising seven children. The ensemble cast also included Jessica Biel, Barry Watson, Beverley Mitchell, David Gallagher, Mackenzie Rosman and Catherine Hicks.

The actor’s personal life made headlines in 2014 when a recording of him confessing to child molestation was leaked. In the audio, Collins went into detail about the incidents that occurred over a 20-year time span from 1973 to 1994. He eventually addressed the scandal in a rare interview with Katie Couric.

“Most people get to, or have to, or choose to hide it. This came out,” he shared in December 2014. “I didn’t choose this to come out. I didn’t want to have to deal with these things publicly. … I had dealt with them very, very strongly, and committedly, in my private life, but I think I’m a human being with flaws and I’ve done everything I can to address it.”

April Price is the only one of Collins three alleged victims who have gone public. Collins, for his part, has remained committed to remaining out of the public eye. Keep scrolling to revisit the scandal — and for details on where Collins is now:

How Did Stephen Become a Household Name?

Collins was initially known for playing Commander Willard Decker in 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture film and Jake on ABC’s Tales of the Gold Monkey. He was catapulted into fame when he was cast as Eric Camden on 7th Heaven, which aired from 1996 to 2007. Collins continued to find success with stints on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, No Ordinary Family, The Fosters and Revolution.

What Did Stephen Say About His Personal Life?

Before his rise to stardom, Collins was married to Marjorie Weinman from 1970 to 1978. He started dating Faye Grant — who is 10 years his junior — after they met on set of Tales of the Gold Monkey in 1982. They got married after three years of dating and welcomed daughter Kate in 1989. Collins and Grant separated in 2012 and their divorce was finalized three years later.

Why Did Stephen Make Headlines?

Amid Collins’ separation from Grant, TMZ released an audio recording from a marriage counseling session where the actor admitted to sexually abusing three underage girls. Collins initially didn’t address the scandal but ultimately broke his silence in a lengthy statement.

“Forty years ago, I did something terribly wrong that I deeply regret. I have been working to atone for it ever since,” he told People in December 2014. “I’ve decided to address these issues publicly because two months ago, various news organizations published a recording made by my then-wife, Faye Grant, during a confidential marriage therapy session in January, 2012. This session was recorded without the therapist’s or my knowledge or consent.”

Collins continued: “On the recording, I described events that took place 20, 32 and 40 years ago. The publication of the recording has resulted in assumptions and innuendos about what I did that go far beyond what actually occurred. As difficult as this is, I want people to know the truth.”

Collins noted that he has “agonized” over whether to make a direct apology to the women.

“I did have an opportunity to do so with one of the women, 15 years later. I apologized and she was extraordinarily gracious,” he concluded. “But after I learned in the course of my treatment that my being direct about such matters could actually make things worse for them by opening old wounds, I have not approached the other two women, one of whom is now in her 50s and the other in her 30s.”

What Was the Aftermath of the Scandal?

Collins’ career effectively ended after the investigation. He elaborated on the incidents during an interview with Couric, sharing during the December 2014 tell-all, “In 1973, there were two occasions when I exposed myself to this young woman. Several months later, she came to visit and stay with us, with my first wife and me. My wife had gone to sleep, and she and I were watching TV alone together … I knew that something unthinkably wrong had just happened that I couldn’t take back.”

Collins denied he was “pedophile” before adding, “I had put that stuff behind me. I’m a flawed person. In the church, it’s actually one of the things I love about the church … It’s really one of the main things about the Christian faith, is, you know, Christ said in so many ways, ‘Bring me that … which about you is broken, bring it.’ And most people are broken in some way.”

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department released a statement confirming that Collins had been investigated in 2012 following a sexual abuse claim from 18 years earlier. The LAPD’s investigation did not allow it to “substantiate the allegation” against Collins and no charges were brought against him.

Did Stephen’s Costars From ‘7th Heaven’ Say Anything?

The cast from the show didn’t speak out at the time but have reunited over the years — without Collins. Two years after the scandal, Collins’ onscreen wife Hicks didn’t rule out a 7th Heaven reunion — under one condition.

“We would have to open with Stephen’s coffin,” she joked to TMZ in 2016. “It’s all up to the networks and those types of things. I think we’d all love to be together. 8th Heaven with a new boyfriend for Annie.”

Creator Brenda Hampton addressed Hicks’ comments about a reunion, telling Life & Style in 2017, “I would include him. I think all the actors would like to do a reunion show. It would be really fun!”

She continued: “I think Catherine was caught off guard and said something off the top of her head. [The scandal] is so personal, [it’s] none of my business.”

Mitchell, Gallagher and Rosman also addressed Collins’ legal drama in September 2024 ahead of a new episode of their “Catching Up with the Camdens” podcast.

“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,” Mitchell, who played Lucy Camden, said at the time. “But before we get into that, we do think it’s important that we say something about Stephen Collins.”

Gallagher, who played Simon Camden, 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.”

Mitchell promised that Collins “will not be joining us on this podcast” before Rosman added, “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, we did not have any inappropriate experiences with Stephen.”

Where Is Stephen Now?

Collins’ career ended after he confessed to sexual abuse against multiple minors. His last TV role was for a voiceover in Avengers Assemble as Howard Stark while his final credited movie was 2014’s Penance. Collins has stayed almost out of the public eye — except for a single sighting in 2024 — over the years before his name was brought back up in Investigation Discovery’s March 2025 special Hollywood Demons.

Producers for the true crime series reached out to “more than 100 contacts” of Collins’ and “nearly everyone declined to participate or did not respond.” (A producer in a voiceover stated that only men agreed to speak with them about their experience with Collins.)

Collins’ only public accuser participated in the doc but he didn’t.

“Stephen Collins now lives with a woman who is 40 years younger than him. She was a super fan,” Dr. Drew Pinsky claimed in the special. “The age difference — given what we know about his history — certainly raises an eyebrow. Let’s hope he can commit to this woman and not perpetrate on others.”