Collin Gosselin Opens Up About Alleged Abuse from Mother Kate Gosselin

Collin Gosselin, son of reality TV star Kate Gosselin, recently discussed the alleged abuse he experienced from his mother. In an interview with ABC, Collin, now 22, claimed his mother forced him to sleep in a locked room in the basement to isolate him from his father, Jon Gosselin.

Collin described one incident where a teacher noticed his swollen earlobe. He attributed this injury to his mother allegedly dragging him across a room by his ear.

‘My teacher saw … and then I talked to my guidance counselor, and I told them about it,’ Collin said. ‘And my mom was not very happy that I spoke about that.’

Collin recounted being removed from school in the fourth grade, recalling his fear of speaking out when questioned by child protective services about abuse claims.

Reflecting on his early years, Collin admitted uncertainty about life before television cameras began filming his family, who starred in the reality shows ‘Jon & Kate Plus 8’ and ‘Kate Plus 8.’ He claimed, ‘Simply put, my whole life that I lived was a lie.’

Collin recalled attempting to run away, but alleged that his mother zip-tied his wrists and ankles and confined him to the basement.

Days prior to his 12th birthday, Collin claimed Kate Gosselin had him removed from their home and placed in an institution, where he was reportedly medicated and received minimal contact from his family. He stated that he was told the move was ‘for his own good,’ but believed he threatened his mother’s income and reputation.

Kate has maintained that Collin faced behavioral challenges, mentioning autism, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, Collin cited an independent psychological evaluation suggesting he did not have any of these diagnoses.

‘Everybody was like, ‘Were you surprised when you got this?’ I was like, ‘No,” Collin said. ‘Because I knew that, it’s just that I needed it on paper.’

Prior to releasing his memoir, ‘In The Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood,’ Collin shared his first memories revolving around the presence of camera crews at home.

‘We were rolling every day, I mean at least a majority of the week, every week of the month of the year,’ he said.

He reflected on life during his parents’ divorce and shared concerns about the exploitation of children, including filming them during private moments such as potty training.

Collin spoke about orchestrated family moments for television, mentioning photo shoots with puppies, which were taken away once filming concluded.

Kate Gosselin remained largely silent regarding Collin’s allegations but did respond defensively on social media, addressing claims related to her son estranging his siblings against each other during their upbringing.

While one social media user suggested suing Collin for defamation, Kate responded, citing her status as a public figure and the difficulties in proving malice in court.

Kate acknowledged consulting a high-profile Los Angeles attorney, but stated that the legal system does not favor public figures in such cases.

She further commented on how challenging it is for parents dealing with mentally ill children, emphasizing that understanding requires personal experience.