As the nostalgia for 7th Heaven has taken over TikTok and various other social platforms, members of the cast have reunited for a podcast. The podcast — Catching Up with the Camdens — is hosted Beverley Mitchell, who played Lucy Camden; David Gallagher, who played Simon Camden; and Mackenzie Rosman, who played Lucy Camden.
Absent from the podcast is Stephen Collins, who played the Camden family patriarch, Eric Camden. Back in 2014, Collins issued a statement to People, in which, he admitted to molesting three minors in 1973, 1982, and 1994. As a result, reruns of 7th Heaven were pulled from broadcast.
Catching Up with the Camdens premiered back in July, featuring the cast mates reminiscing on iconic and cringy moments from the show. But in the latest episode, which dropped on Wednesday, September 23, the cast finally addresses Collins' sex crimes ahead of them beginning to rewatch the series.
"Before we get into this episode," Mitchell said, "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."
The cast continued to disavow Collins, with Gallagher saying "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."
The cast noted that they plan to mention and refer to Collins at various points throughout the rewatch, given that Collins played a major role in the show. They also expressed that they did not have any experiences similar to the ones to which Collins previously admitted.
"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."
Mitchell confirmed that Collins will not appear on the episode at any point, but fans can expect other past cast members to pop in from time to time.
Gallagher wrapped the intro, thanking fans for support, and assuring them that their concerns have been seen and heard.
"We know that this is difficult, and we understand that it can be triggering," Gallagher said. "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."
If you or somebody you know is a victim of sexual assault, please do not hesitate to call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673)
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