Inside the Marriage and Relationship Timeline of Stephen Collins and Faye Grant

The jaw-dropping sexual abuse scandal involving actor and 7th Heaven star Stephen Collins shocked Hollywood and fans alike — but there was even more unfolding behind the scenes in Stephen’s long-time marriage (and eventual divorce) to fellow actor Faye Grant.

Stephen’s marriage to Faye may have been his second trip down the aisle, but it was his longest — and it was Faye’s secret recording of Stephen’s therapy session where he confessed to past sexual abuse of minors that ultimately led to the actor’s downfall.

In 1982, Stephen and Faye met while on set of the short-lived television series, Tales of the Gold Monkey. They dated for a little over two years before finally getting married in 1985 in New York City, according to PEOPLE.

Faye, who starred in the series V prior to marriage to Stephen, decided to give up her Hollywood career in favor of being a wife and stay-at-home mom to their daughter Kate, who was born in 1989.

Throughout the late '80s, '90s, and mid-2000s, the couple was the rare example of a long-lasting Hollywood marriage and appeared to be as picture-perfect as the family Stephen headed 7th Heaven, the popular WB series that made him a '90s TV legend.

After more than 27 years of marriage, Stephen filed for divorce from Faye in 2012. “Stephen’s filing for divorce is a surprise,” she said at the time, per PEOPLE. “I wish him the very best in whatever path he chooses to take. Twenty-seven years of marriage in Hollywood is the equivalent of 189 dog years.”

Per the outlet, at the time of the divorce filing, Stephen said of Faye, “She has been my dearest friend and a loving mother. I know that we’ll go through this process in a way that honors our family.”

What followed was a years-long divorce battle that wasn’t officially settled until 2015, three years after the petition was initially filed.

Under the terms of the settlement, Stephen and Faye both received a 50/50 split of the sale of their Brentwood homes. However neither received any form of spousal support, PEOPLE reported at the time.

The former couple’s divorce was so bitter and took several years because of the taped confession that Stephen made during a therapy session — which he claimed Faye was responsible for, although she denied it.

Stephen said that because Faye taped him unknowingly, she waved her right to a financial divorce settlement, per the outlet.

In the confession, a male voice admitted to the sexual abuse and child molestation of multiple young girls throughout his life, dating back to the 1970s, according to ABC News.

Following the tape leak, he was investigated by both the New York Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department, but no charges were ever filed.

In December 2014, Stephen spoke exclusively to PEOPLE and admitted to the claims of sexual abuse against him. "Forty years ago, I did something terribly wrong that I deeply regret. I have been working to atone for it ever since,” his statement to the outlet began.

“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,” Stephen continued.

"On the recording, I described events that took place 20, 32, and 40 years ago," he added. "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."