“7th Heaven” star Stephen Collins has had a shockingly fast fall from grace.
In audio tapes released Tuesday Collins, 67, can be heard allegedly admitting to exposing himself to several girls under the age of 14 during a 2012 therapy session with his now estranged wife, Faye Grant. The illicit acts are said to have happened in the 1970s. The actor is best-known for his role as a pastor on the long-running family-friendly series.
Some of Collins’s career off camera involved working with young children; in particular, he served as the national co-director of the Committee for Stress-Free Schools, which pushes for the practice of Transcendental Meditation in U.S. schools. The Committee is a part of the global charity The David Lynch Foundation.
Bob Roth, executive director of the foundation, told FOX411 that Collins “stepped down” from his advisory role two years ago for undisclosed “personal reasons.” It was around that time that the alleged confession seems to have come to light.
“Stephen was one of thousands of people who supported the work of David Lynch to bring it to veterans and inner city school kids,” Roth said. “His work entailed doing fundraisers in L.A. and N.Y. for veterans, and he would do the step and repeat with his wife, [not] hands on with any programs… I hope he gets the help he needs to heal himself and his family.”
A source connected to Faye Grant, Collins’s ex-wife who reportedly taped the confession ahead of their divorce battle, said that even those within Grant’s close circle are said to be “shocked” about the allegations against the actor and were not made aware of any prior confessions. In a statement to E! News on Tuesday, Grant insisted that she did not divulge the tapes and that she woke up to learn that an extremely private recording handed over to the authorities in 2012 per their request in connection with a criminal investigation had been disseminated to the press.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed to FOX411 that they had received information in 2012 regarding allegations of criminal behavior.
“A case was opened, but is no longer active. No crime report was ever made and there was no verified victim,” Officer Norma Eisenman stated. “We are reviewing that investigation to make certain that nothing was missed and we are collaborating with New York to assist if we can. The case here has not been reopened we are merely reviewing the case for accuracy.
Kyle Searles, who has a recurring role as Mac on "7th Heaven," spoke out about the child abuse allegations to TMZ and said that he was “shocked and confused.”
“Stephen was somebody I looked up to. He was by far the most likeable, influential, genuine person that I had the pleasure of working with,” Searles said.
Catherine Hicks, who played Collins' TV wife for years on the series, told TMZ he is a "good guy" and she has no further comment.
Although Collins has not been charged, the Hollywood fallout was quick and sharp. He was promptly dumped from a small part in Seth MacFarlane’s upcoming flick “Ted 2” on Tuesday morning, and in a statement issued to FOX411 on Tuesday, family-friendly network UP TV – which was airing re-runs of “7th Heaven” – confirmed that the show had immediately been pulled from the programming schedule. While SAG-AFTRA declined to comment, Collins has also reportedly resigned from his position on the Guild’s National Board. He also reportedly lost his upcoming guest role on the hit drama "Scandal."
Just last month, Collins joined his former “7th Heaven” cast members including Beverly Mitchell, Jessica Biel and Barry Watson for a reunion dinner. Rumors have swirled about a “7th Heaven” movie, but an industry insider insisted there is no way that will come to fruition in light of the new claims against Collins.
Beyond his acting endeavors, Collins also published two erotic thriller novels in '90s. “Eye Contact” was released in 1995 and centered on a promiscuous young actress who “provides a night of uninhibited sexual fantasy for a man she picks up in a restaurant,” and in 1998 later he penned “Double Exposure” about a neurotic male media critic who is snared by a new neighbor amid bouts of “window-to-window voyeurism.”
A legal representative for Collins did not respond to a comment request and an FBI official in the Los Angeles office said that per bureau policy, they are unable to confirm or deny investigations.
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Danielle Jones-Wesley contributed to this report.