Stephen Collins has broken his silence on the release of an audio recording where the actor admits to to molesting three underage girls decades ago.
Two months after Collins' ex-wife released a tape of his confession recorded during a therapy session, the actor acknowledged the wrongdoing in a statement for People magazine.
"Forty years ago, I did something terribly wrong that I deeply regret," Collins wrote. "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."
The actor goes on to say the events described in the recording took place "20, 32, and 40 years ago" and ads that the publication of the tape has led to wrongful "assumptions and innuendos" about what actually happened.
"As difficult as this is, I want people to know the truth," he said.
The former 7th Heaven star will discuss the issue in further detail during an interview with Katie Couric that will stream on Yahoo! and air Friday on ABC.
In the days that followed the release of the recording, Collins was dropped from the sequel Ted 2, an upcoming story line on TV's Scandal and by his talent agency. Further, 7th Heaven reruns were pulled from UP TV network.
Collins said in his statement he apologized to one of the women he abused, but has not approached the other two because he's learned that his "being direct about such matters could actually make things worse for them by opening old wounds."
The actor added he has "not had an impulse to act out in any such way" in the last 20 years.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the New York Police Department are conducting a joint investigation of the allegations against Collins, which took place in both cities.
Source: UPI