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'7th Heaven's' Stephen Collins to Give Deposition in Divorce Case

By Daniel Taylor, Esq. on January 15, 2015 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Former "7th Heaven" star Stephen Collins must sit for a deposition, the judge in his ongoing divorce proceedings ruled Wednesday.

The ruling came after a request by Collins' estranged wife Faye Grant, reports The Associated Press. Grant wants Collins to answer questions about the financial fallout he claims occurred after an audio recording was released last year in which he admitted to inappropriate sexual conduct with three underage girls.

Collins claims the release of the taped confession, the truth of which he later acknowledged, ruined his career.

Collins Seeking Denial of Spousal Support

Collins has requested that the judge in his case deny Grant any spousal support. Spousal support paid by one former spouse to another may be awarded following a divorce either by agreement between the two former spouses or by court order.

The audio tape of the 67-year-old Collins admitting to the sexual misconduct with the underage girls was from a 2012 therapy session recorded by Grant and leaked to the website TMZ. Grant denies leaking the tape, and the tape's source has not been made public. But according to TMZ, in documents filed during his divorce, Collins has accused Grant of leaking the tape to TMZ following earlier failed attempts at releasing the tape.

Following the leak of the tape, Collins claims he lost several upcoming roles. If Collins is unable to earn money, this would likely effect the judge's decision regarding the award of spousal support.

Admission of Sexual Misconduct

In the aftermath of the tape's release, Collins gave several interviews in which he confirmed that he had engaged in sexual misconduct. In an interview with People, Collins admitted that between 1973 and 1994 he had inappropriate sexual contact with three underage girls.

Although authorities have investigated Collins' claims, he has not been arrested or charged with a sex crime in connection with his admitted misconduct. Collins' divorce proceedings are scheduled to go to trial in February unless Collins and his estranged wife are able to settle their divorce before then.

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