7th Heaven star Stephen Collins has reportedly confessed that the claims made against him are in fact true.
The actor hit headlines back in October when an audio recording allegedly included a confession from Collins concerning the molestation of underage girls. The audio was apparently recorded without his knowledge during a therapy session with his wife Faye Grant and was later released to TMZ.
The actor has now reportedly confessed in a statement to People magazine that he did have inappropriate sexual contact with three minors, between 1973 and 1994, but added that he has “not had an impulse to act out in any such way” over the last 20 years.
He wrote: “Forty years ago, I did something terribly wrong that I deeply regret. I have been working to atone for it ever since. I’ve decided to address these issue 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. 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.
“I did have an opportunity to do so (apologize) with one of the women, 15 years later. I apologised and she was extraordinarily gracious… 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.”
The full statement will be published in the magazine on Friday.
