False Shooting Report Triggers Uproar At Actor Stephen Collins' Tarzana Home
TARZANA (CBSLA.com) — Twitter was abuzz Tuesday night after a false report emerged that a gunshot had been heard coming from actor Stephen Collins' Tarzana home.
Officers swarmed the house in the 5100 block of Chimineas Avenue after two news crews and a paparazzo staking out the home notified police around 6:30 p.m. of a possible shooting, the LAPD reported.
This came the same day TMZ reported Collins, known for his role as a pastor in the hit TV show "7th Heaven," allegedly confessed to molesting three young girls.
The LAPD held a news conference shortly after 9 p.m. to clarify that a shooting had not taken place at the residence.
"We have verified that Mr. Collins is safe, he's not injured," LAPD Capt. Ivan Minsal said. "We've spoken to him and his attorney and at this time we want to end this event and return this neighborhood back to its normal evening affairs."
They said the actor hadn't been home all day.
Nonetheless, Twitter was sent into a frenzy and a crowd gathered near the Tarzana home, with many speculating whether Collins was involved.
Actress Donna D'Errico, who claims Collins is her neighbor, posted on Twitter that she'd heard the actor had fatally shot himself. She later deleted the tweet and apologized for posting hearsay.
Collins, 67, found himself embroiled in a controversy of epic proportions Tuesday after TMZ posted a recording where the actor allegedly confesses to molesting three young girls. The audio was purportedly recorded by his estranged wife Faye Grant during a 2012 therapy session.
Grant said the actor targeted two girls in New York and another in Los Angeles. She claims in a court filing that after she learned about Collins' "secret life," she immediately reported the alleged abuse to police in New York and L.A.
There has been no comment from the actor's spokesman.
Various media outlets reported that Collins was fired from the cast of the film "Ted 2" after the audiotape was made public.
He also allegedly resigned from the board of the SAG-AFTRA actors' union. Officials with the union did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Collins is perhaps best known for his role on "7th Heaven," which ran for 11 seasons.
Related Story: Report Claims '7th Heaven' Actor Confessed To Molesting Young Girls
