The lawyer for actor Stephen Collins has accused the actor's estranged wife Faye Grant of using an audiotape in which he confessed to molesting young girls to blackmail him, celebrity website TMZ reported.

Collins, 67, known for playing a wholesome pastor in TV series 7th Heaven, has been fired from a sequel to satirical movie Ted following the revelation.

TMZ quoted Collins' lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, as saying: "Over the course of my representation of Stephen in the divorce case, Faye has repeatedly threatened to give this audiotape to the media unless Stephen agreed to pay her millions of dollars more than that to which she was legally entitled."

Kaplan added that he wanted to address the audio confession but could not at the moment.

Grant, 57, and Collins are divorcing after 27 years of marriage. She has denied leaking the audio tape.

TMZ, quoting a source close to Collins, said the incidents of molest on the audio tape took place between 20 and 40 years ago.

In the audio tape obtained by TMZ, the actor appears to admit during a 2012 therapy session to inappropriate behavior with at least three under-age girls.

The Los Angeles police have said they are reviewing a 2012 probe into the actor.