Collin Gosselin, son of former reality television star Kate Gosselin, has detailed alleged emotional and physical abuse by his mother in his new memoir, "In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood." The book, released Tuesday, accuses Kate Gosselin of mistreating Collin during their time on the TLC series "Jon & Kate Plus 8" and its successor, "Kate Plus 8."
Collin, now 22, alleges that he was sent to a residential behavioral health facility in 2016, shortly before his 12th birthday, because he resisted filming the reality show. He claims his mother fabricated a narrative of him being a "troubled child" to maintain the show's facade. He stated that he was "overworked" and "exploited" along with his siblings.
According to the memoir, the alleged abuse escalated from emotional to physical. Collin recounts instances of Kate Gosselin allegedly yanking his ear and slapping him across the face with open hands, causing his cheekbones to become bruised and purple. He wrote that he learned to anticipate her anger and position himself to minimize the impact.
Collin also claims that his mother once injured his brother's ear by pulling it too hard. He reiterates past allegations of being held in a "locked basement" where he slept on an air mattress and was monitored by a camera. He stated that after attempting to escape the basement, his hands were zip-tied by his mother before he was sent to the Fairmont Behavioral Health Institute.
Kate Gosselin previously denied Collin's allegations, stating in 2016 that he had "multiple psychiatric diagnoses" and was a "very troubled young man who continues to need a lot of help." She indicated that his behavior had been unpredictable and violent towards his relatives, necessitating his placement in a facility for safety. She also suggested that court action against him for his claims was not feasible due to her public figure status.
Collin spent nearly two years at the behavioral health facility. He was later re-diagnosed as an adult by a clinical psychologist and found to have no current psychiatric or behavioral issues. His father, Jon Gosselin, was granted full custody of Collin in 2018, and of his sister Hannah in 2016. Collin is currently estranged from some of his other siblings.
Collin Gosselin is currently featured on the reality competition show "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test."