DISGRACED 7th Heaven star Stephen Collins lives a reclusive life in Fairfield, Iowa 13 years after he was involved in a sex abuse scandal.
Stephen, 77, starred on the hit WB series 7th Heaven from 1996 to 2007, where he played Reverend Eric Camden and doting father to seven children with his onscreen wife Annie.
Stephen was blacklisted from Hollywood when the New York and Los Angeles Police Departments each launched separate sexual abuse investigations in 2012, with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department looking into a third incident in 2014.
Though Stephen admitted to the sexual abuse of three underage girls from 1973 to 1994, he was never charged with the crimes because of the statute of limitations.
Thirteen years after the scandal, Stephen is now the focus of Investigation Discovery’s Hollywood Demons.
Ahead of the documentary, The U.S. Sun can exclusively go inside his reclusive life in rural Fairfield, Iowa.
The U.S. Sun obtained rare photos of Stephen on April 28, 2024 leaving his $557,500 home.
His first stop was a gas station, where he was photographed cleaning the windows of his modest Toyota SUV.
He then drove to a nearby supermarket and parked close to the entrance.
He carried two six-packs of empty bottles to deposit for change.
Inside, Stephen took out cash at the grocery store’s ATM.
7th Heaven actor jokes revival would feature them in ‘prison’ years after co-star Stephen Collins’ shocking admission
Stephen tried to remain incognito during the errands run, as he wore a baseball cap, glasses and had a beard.
He appeared extremely anxious throughout the outing, an eyewitness told The U.S. Sun, as he constantly looked around at his surroundings and did not interact with others.
The former actor wore a blue baseball-style shirt with jeans and sneakers for the afternoon outing.
Stephen also sported a gold wedding ring, showing he is still married to his third wife Jenny Nagel, 37.
Stephen did not respond to The U.S. Sun’s request for comment at the time.
PRIVATE LIVING
When Stephen isn’t running errands around town, he spends his days inside the Fairfield, Iowa home he purchased in August 2017.
Stephen added his wife to the deed in December 2021.
The 2,447 square-foot home features three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
The ranch-style house boasts an office, meditation room, screen porch, two-car garage, access to walking trails and more peaceful amenities, according to the real estate listing.
Stephen, who was born in Des Moines, Iowa, was also photographed in November 2019 when Daily Mail obtained photos of him and his wife at breakfast with friends.
The outlet reported the couple attend transcendental meditation sessions at the nearby members-only Maharishi Vedic City.
The U.S. Sun could also confirm Stephen has a vacation home in La Pointe, Wisconsin.
The cabin-style house sits on nearly five acres of land and has two bedrooms, one bathroom and stunning lake views.
Jenny’s name is also listed on the home.
The Daily Mail reported Stephen and Jenny, who was born in Germany, were married in July 2019.
The outlet claimed she was a super fan of the show, and posted about the series and his character before their marriage.
Stephen was previously married to Marjorie Weinman from 1970 to 1978 and Faye Grant, who he shares a daughter with, from 1985 to 2015.
SEXUAL ABUSE CLAIMS
The Hollywood Reporter reported Stephen admitted to his second wife, Faye, that he had been sexually inappropriate with three minor girls aged 11 to 13 from 1973 to 1994.
The couple separated in February 2012 and he filed for divorce in May of that year.
TMZ released leaked audio in 2014 of Stephen confessing to the sexual abuse taken during one of the couple’s counseling sessions.
The audio was leaked back in 2012 to the NYPD and LAPD, who launched investigations, as the LASD then launched an investigation in 2014.
In October 2014, TMZ reported Stephen would not be charged in all three of the investigations.
The outlet reported the three cases are decades old and are barred by the statute of limitations.
I’m a flawed person.”
Stephen Collins
Stephen confessed to the incidents in a December 2014 statement to People.
He claimed, “I have not had an impulse to act out in any such way.”
“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 issues 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.”
He continued, regarding apologizing to his three victims, “I did have an opportunity to do so with one of the women, 15 years later. I apologized 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.”
In an interview with Katie Couric the same month, he admitted of the 1973 incident, “I knew that something unthinkably wrong had just happened that I couldn’t take back.”
He credited therapy and religion for not committing another sexual abuse since 1994.
Stephen said, “I’m a flawed person. And in the church, it’s actually one of the things I love about the church… it’s really one of the main things about the Christian faith.
“Christ said in so many ways, ‘bring me that… which about you is broken, bring it,’ and most people are broken in some way.”
Stephen was fired from his acting jobs and 7th Heaven reruns were temporarily pulled.
INSIDE THE SCANDAL
Now, Stephen is back in the spotlight with an episode of the scandal on Investigation Discovery’s Hollywood Demons.
In a preview for the two-hour episode, alleged victim April Price explained how she asked Stephen for help setting up a video system when she was 13 years old in 1983.
“He said, sure he could do that, no problem. He’s in the living room in my aunt’s apartment… and he turned around and his jeans were completely open and he’s completely exposed.”
Recurring 7th Heaven stars Jeremy London, who played Chandler, and Kyle Searles, who played Mac, also participated in the documentary.
Hollywood Demons will air weekly with a different celebrity subject each week at 9pm ET on ID and Max.
