The recent allegations placed upon the shoulders of Stephen Collins have been nothing less than shocking. In terms of what it has already cost the actor, it’s nothing short of his entire career. At the center of the child molestation accusations: his ex-wife, Faye Grant, who was once his best friend and confidant.
Stephen Collins and Faye Grant met in the early 1980s, and their relationship began with an immediate, mutual admiration. The two married in 1985, had children and built a beautiful life together. Stephen was always working, and when he booked the gig on 7th Heaven, it meant an impressive step-up the ladder for his career, and for the family’s celebrity and lifestyle.
In 2012, Stephen filed for divorce from his wife who had always gushed about him as a partner. At the time, it was a shock to Faye, though the couple remained amicable. Then, things got a little nasty. At the alleged center of it: money. Faye felt she was entitled to half of Stephen’s fortune from their time together, and according to California law, with no standing prenuptial agreement, such is the case.
Still, there was no reason to believe this was about anything more than money. Not until this week, just before the divorce proceedings were set to go to court.
According to Faye Grant, she took the audio recording of the counseling session(s) between she and Stephen to the police, citing child molestation. She maintains she did not leak the tapes to TMZ. The media outlet responsible for the first headline.
Stephen’s attorney has alleged that Faye employed extortion tactics with this audio recording, in an effort to score more money from her ex-husband. The burden of proof, as in all cases, lies on the accuser. Even if this can be proven, Stephen has to deal with something far more severe–something that could threaten his very freedom.
Considering everything, there’s the underlying curiosity: where did all of this come from? When did these issues first come to light in relationship of Stephen Collins and Faye Grant? At what point did Stephen seemingly become so interested in sex, that he wrote a highly sexual thriller entitled Double Exposure? Or was it possibly his work on the novel in the late 1990s, that pushed him into a dark obsession from which he struggled to escape?
One thing is for certain. Unless he’s exonerated from these allegations, and able to prove that Faye Grant had it in for him, and somehow created these tapes as a ploy to score lucrative amounts of cash (all of these scenarios highly unlikely), then the career of Stephen Collins is over. He was fired from Ted 2 this week, and networks have already pulled syndication of 7th Heaven from their schedules.
It was just two years ago that Stephen suggested that he and Faye would handle this divorce in a way that would “honor” their family. Sadly, for all parties involved–including those who may have been part of the recent allegations–when people attempt to divide assets, skeletons aren’t merely revealed in a closet. They often come dancing out to great, and tragic fanfare.
Also Check Out: 9 Betrayed Women Who Were Dignified In Divorce!
