Collin Gosselin Alleges Mom Kate Locked Him in Basement Cell for Two Years
In his new memoir, Collin Gosselin details alleged harsh conditions and isolation during his childhood.
Collin Gosselin, son of former reality television stars Kate and Jon Gosselin, has detailed allegations in his new memoir that his mother, Kate Gosselin, confined him to a "small holding cell" in their basement for two years. The memoir, titled "In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood," describes a room constructed in the unfinished basement, allegedly created by a contractor at Kate Gosselin's direction.
Collin, now 22, claims he was provided with only an air mattress and a pillow in this room, which he asserts was off-limits to everyone, including the production crew filming the family's reality show "Kate Plus Eight" at the time. He alleges that surveillance cameras monitored him within the cell, with a device resembling a baby monitor that was carried by his mother or her staff.
He described the room as having a small window near the ceiling, a consistently cold temperature, and dusty, stale air. Collin alleges he was only brought upstairs to eat after his siblings had finished, experiencing their meals through basement vents. He states that after eating and completing chores, he would be locked back into the room.
Collin recounts hearing his seven siblings—older twins Madelyn and Cara, and sextuplets Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Leah, and Joel—enjoying their weekends while he remained confined. He describes an incident where he wet himself because he could not leave the room to use the bathroom, and he pleaded with his mother through the cameras.
Kate Gosselin has previously denied allegations made by Collin, stating in a 2023 statement to People magazine that he has "received multiple psychiatric diagnoses over the years" and that his "distorted perception of reality is one of the many issues that he has always struggled with." She added that his siblings and she have not been directly involved in his life due to his "history of unpredictable behavior and violent tendencies towards us."
Kate and her ex-husband, Jon Gosselin, gained fame on the TLC series "Jon & Kate Plus 8." The couple divorced in 2009, and Jon was granted sole custody of Collin in 2018. Sources have indicated that Kate expressed nervousness about Collin's memoir, with one source telling Page Six that she considers family members who speak out to be "traitors."
Collin told Page Six that his memoir aims to "expose a lot" and that "children deserve to be protected."