7th Heaven Cast Address Stephen Collins’ Sexual Abuse Ahead of Series Rewatch Podcast

Beverley MitchellDavid Gallagher, and Mackenzie Rosman — who played, Lucy, Simon and Ruthie Camden, respectively, on the beloved WB series — teamed up in July to launch Catching up With the Camdensa rewatch podcast for the ’90s TV drama.

Ahead of the show’s premiere this week to review the pilot, the three addressed the elephant in the room: the presence of Stephen Collins— who played the family patriarch, Reverend Eric Camden — and confessed in 2014 to the prior sexual abuse of three underage girls.

“Before we get into this episode,” Mitchell began, “we want you to know that we see all of your comments, and we know how excited you all are for the rewatch… but before we get into that, we do think it’s important that we say something about Stephen Collins.”

“All forms of abuse, sexual abuse of any kind — it’s inexcusable. Victims of abuse need to be shown compassion, and they should be given support,” Gallagher added.

“As we rewatch these episodes,” Rosman explained, “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.”

Collins’ crimes against children first came to light in 2012, after TMZ released an audio clip from a therapy session involving Collins and his soon-to-be ex-wife, actress Faye Grant, who heard Collins confess to molesting an 11-year-old relative of his first wife, Marjorie Weinman.

An investigation into Collins’ conduct was launched by the Manhattan Special Victims Squad, and in December 2014, Collins shared details of three separate incidents in which he molested underage girls with PEOPLE.

“Forty years ago, I did something terribly wrong that I deeply regret,” Collins said in his 2014 statement. He confessed to molesting three different minors in 1973, 1982, and 1994. “I have not had an impulse to act out in any such way” since the last assault, he said, and had “been working to atone for it ever since. “

After Collins’ confession, reruns of 7th Heaven were pulled from syndication, Collins was released from his spot on the SAG-AFTRA board, and was dropped from his talent agency.

“Stephen will not be joining us on this podcast,” Mitchell made clear to listeners, “and we do not apologize or condone his behavior. Our hope for this podcast is to reconnect with you, our fans, to relive some ’90s nostalgia, and to share our fondest memories of 7th Heaven.”

In closing, Gallagher shared, “We know that this is difficult, and we understand that it can be triggering. But we just want to say that we love you guys, and we’re so grateful for all the love and support that you, our community, have shown to us … Hopefully, you guys will stick with us as we continue on this journey.”

7th Heaven followed the lives of the Camden clan, a family of nine living in fictional Glen Oak, California helmed by the reverend and his on-screen wife Annie, played by Catherine Hicks. The series also starred Jessica Biel, Ashlee Simpson, Tyler Hoechlinand Haylie Duff.