Jon & Kate Plus 8 star Collin Gosselin reveals if he will ever forgive mom Kate Gosselin after alleged abuse
Collin Gosselin has called for 'accountability' from his mom Kate after claiming she abused him.
Collin, who is now 22 years old, has made a number of claims against his mom, who was the star of TLC’s Jon & Kate Plus 8 show, which followed Kate and Jon Gosselin’s journey with pre-existing twins, and then welcoming sextuplets.
Despite seeming to be an all-American family, Collin’s memoir In the Shadow of Eight, made some startling allegations.
He claimed he suffered physical abuse and isolation at the hands of his mother. He was sent to Fairmount Behavioral Health Institute in Philadelphia in 2016 aged 11, a decision Kate claimed was made for the safety of other family members.
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Kate denied all allegations of abuse. After leaving the facility in 2018, Collin began living with his father, Jon, who split from Kate in 2009. He only remains in contact with his sister Hannah.
According to Collin, even though it has been years since he had contact with his mom, he’s not shutting the door completely to a potential reunion.
“I know you've probably heard this a million times,” Collin told E! News, adding: “But I'm a big believer that actions speak louder than words. And while we can say what we want to say, you have to back that up. And there's a lot of accountability that has to be taken on her part.”
He continued: “I've done my due diligence, I've put everything out there, and she's yet to come forward and take accountability for what she's done.”
Collin also claims in the book he was forced to sleep separately from siblings in the basement, and was even locked in at times. He alleges he was forced to eat separately from his siblings, and that Kate would yank his ear and slap him in the face.
Kate addressed Collin's ongoing claims of abuse in 2023, accusing her son of having a 'distorted perception of reality' and being guilty of 'complete fabrications'.
Collin says the aspects of his childhood TLC viewers got to see were ‘polished’.
“What I want people to keep in mind is that many times in these productions, a lot of things are happening behind the scenes and not being shown,” he said in the interview.
“So, everything that was seen, even if it was the ugly moments and viewers think it was quite bad, I mean imagine that to another level.”
He added: “A lot of what we're seeing - it's not real. It is reality, but it is not real.”
As for writing and publishing his memoir, Collin hopes it serves a higher purpose in encouraging anyone who relates to his story to speak up.
“I just want them to know it is it is hard to speak about stuff that you've been through,” he said. “I always knew I wanted to, but it was hard to finally take the step and say like, ‘I'm gonna write a book.’”
Kate's statement from 2023 read: "My son Collin, whom I love with all my heart, has received multiple psychiatric diagnoses over the years. For the safety of myself, his brothers and sisters and for his own well-being, he was placed in a facility following years of outpatient treatment which proved insufficient for his needs.
“The decision to admit him was made by emergency room doctors following one of his many attacks/outbursts - this one involving his use of a weapon. Fast forward to the present day, and following Jon’s removal of Collin from treatment, my son’s unpredictable and violent behaviors have sadly continued regularly towards Jon, Hannah and others around him.
“Collin’s distorted perception of reality is one of the many issues that he has always struggled with. As many people who have family members grappling with mental health issues can attest, it is rarely and sadly surprising when complete fabrications occur, and this is just another heartbreaking facet of this fight.
“Unfortunately, I believe Collin remains a very troubled young man who continues to need a lot of help. His brothers and sisters and I have not been directly involved in his life due to his history of unpredictable behavior and violent tendencies towards us.”
UNILAD reached out to the representative of Kate Gosselin for comment.
Topics: Parenting, TLC, Film and TV
Britt Jones