The cast of 7th Heaven speaks about Stephen Collins' sexual abuse before the series' rerun

Beverly Mitchell, David Gallagher and Mackenzie Rosman, best known for their roles as Lucy, Simon and Ruthie in 7th Heaven, speak out about their former TV father Stephen Collins.

During the Sept. 23 episode of their new podcast, Catching Up With the Camdens, the group began the YouTube version of the episode with an explanation. While this isn't the first episode of the podcast, it's the first time they've revisited 7th Heaven, which aired on The WB (and later The CW) for 11 seasons from 1996 to 2007. The series also starred Jessica Biel, Barry Watson and Catherine Hicks.

“We want you to know that we see all of your comments and know how much you are looking forward to the replay, but before we get into that, we think it's important to say something about Stephen Collins,” Mitchell said. Gallagher added: “Any form of abuse, sexual abuse of any kind, is inexcusable. And victims of abuse need to be shown compassion and should be given support.”

Rosman continued, “When we rewatch these episodes, it's impossible not to talk about Stephen because he was such a big part of the show and our lives, but we want to make it clear that we did not have any inappropriate experiences with Stephen.”

In 2014, Collins, best known for his role as Reverend Eric Camden in the family drama, admitted to engaging in “inappropriate sexual conduct with three underage girls” in 1973, 1982 and 1994. He was subsequently fired from several acting roles and reruns of 7th Heaven were pulled from the schedule at the time. He also resigned from his position on the SAG-AFTRA board of directors.

While many former stars of the show will appear on the podcast, Collins will not, Mitchell added. “We do not excuse or condone his behavior. We hope that through this podcast we can reconnect with you, our fans, bring back a little '90s nostalgia and share our fondest memories of '7th Heaven,'” she said.

Gallagher concluded the statement by telling viewers, “We know this is difficult and we understand it can be triggering, but we want to say that we love you and are so grateful for all the love and support you, our community, have shown us. So, hopefully you'll stick with us as we continue this journey.”

Watch the full episode below: