Stephen Collins accused of child molestation
Cable networks UP TV and TV Guide announced they would not broadcast scheduled re-runs of Stephen Collins’ beloved family series 7th Heaven after details of molestation allegations against the actor were reported by TMZ.
New York police confirmed on October 7 they have an open investigation into allegations Stephen Collins molested a teenage girl in the early 1970s.
NYPD spokesman Stephen David said the complaint was filed in 2012 accusing Stephen Collins of molesting a then-14-year-old girl in the actor’s Manhattan apartment in 1972.
Stephen David says the case remains open and is being handled by Special Victims Division detectives, but no charges have been filed.
Prosecutors will make a determination about whether any charges should be pursued.
Hollywood trade publications reported on October 7 that Stephen Collins lost a role in the film Ted 2 and resigned his position from the acting guild SAG-AFTRA.
Stephen Collins is accused of molesting a teenage girl in the early 1970s (photo Getty Images)
Pamela Greenwalt, a spokeswoman for SAG-AFTRA, declined comment on Stephen Collins’ departure from its national board. The actor’s name had been removed from lists of current board membership by Tuesday afternoon.
The actor’s estranged wife, Faye Grant, wrote in a sworn court declaration in Los Angeles last year that her husband had disclosed he molested at least three young girls.
Faye Grant wrote in the November 2012 declaration in the couple’s divorce case that she reported abuse to Los Angeles police, who said they are not actively investigating the actor, but could not offer details on any previous investigations. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said it did not have records of a case being presented to prosecutors.
The report to New York police was made six months after Stephen Collins filed to divorce Faye Grant, who he married in 1985.
Faye Grant and Stephen Collins separated in February 2012, roughly two weeks after the actress said she learned of her husband’s abuse in therapy sessions, according to her declaration. Stephen Collins filed for divorce three months after the separation.
Faye Grant states her husband has said two of the girls he molested were abused when they were between the ages of 10 and 14 years old. She said she had no indications that he was abusing girls until he disclosed it in therapy, and that she reported his disclosures to police in New York and Los Angeles.
Stephen Collins has worked steadily in television and movie roles since the early 1970s, with appearances in movies such as All the President’s Men, Star Trek: The Motion Picture and recurring roles on series such as No Ordinary Family, Revolution and Devious Maids after 7th Heaven concluded its 11-season run in 2007.
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