For the first time since leaked audio recordings featured him confessing to child molestation, Stephen Collins spoke out this week — and admitted he “did something terribly wrong.”
The former 7th Heaven star issued an exclusive statement to People ahead of an in-depth interview with Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric later this week. Stephen, now 67, said in the statement that he molested three girls between 1973 and 1994 (two years before 7th Heaven began), but claimed he has “not had an impulse to act out in any such way” in the past 20 years.
“Forty years ago, I did something terribly wrong that I deeply regret. I have been working to atone for it ever since,” Stephen said, not acknowledging he also confessed to doing “something terribly else” just 20 years ago. “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.”
Stephen added he wants to dismiss the more extreme rumors about his conduct. He said, “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.”
Stephen said he apologized to one of the women he molested when she was an adult. Although he said she was “extremely gracious,” he learned during the course of his treatment that apologizing to the other two women may cause them more pain. He explained, “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.”
Stephen’s full statement is in this week’s edition of People. His interview with Katie Couric will stream on Yahoo! and air on this Friday’s edition of 20/20. Let’s just hope he isn’t getting paid for the exclusives.
