Jon Gosselin has drawn a stark comparison between his ex-wife, Kate Gosselin, and disgraced Mormon YouTuber Ruby Franke, stating that Kate should face jail time for alleged abuse inflicted upon their son, Collin.
During an appearance on the "Legally Goff" podcast, Jon Gosselin claimed that Kate, a former nurse, should be incarcerated. "He was abused and the abuser still walks free and that’s awful," Jon stated, referring to Collin. He further contrasted Kate's situation with Franke's, who was sentenced to prison for child abuse. "Ruby Franke did less than what Colin is alleged — he’s saying in his book. And she went to jail for a long time," he added. "What is wrong with this world? Why is it different for celebrities?"
Franke, once a prominent family vlogger, was sentenced in 2024 to an aggregate sentence of 4 to 30 years for aggravated child abuse. According to a case summary, two of her children were kept in conditions described as a "work-camp-like setting" and were regularly deprived of food, water, and sleeping arrangements.
Jon Gosselin also revealed that he is working with attorneys to potentially build a case against his ex-wife. He expressed his deep emotional pain over a lack of contact with his eldest daughters, twins Madelyn and Cara, stating he "wouldn’t recognize" them if he saw them. "Alienation [as in] silence. I’ve never heard their voice. One day, I was an active every day parent … and I was just cut out of their lives," he said. "I don’t care if they call me an asshole or whatever. I just want some kind of response. Just text me or message me. At least I’ll know. … Walking around for 13 years not knowing has pretty much eaten my soul away.”
This podcast appearance follows the release of Collin Gosselin's memoir, "In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood." In the book, Collin makes accusations of abuse against his mother and recounts his experience in a mental institution at age 11. He alleged that his mother kept him in a "small holding cell" in their unfinished basement and that his siblings and the TLC camera crews were not permitted to see him. Kate Gosselin has previously denied these abuse allegations, defending her decision to place Collin in a mental institution as "medically necessary."
The Gosselin family gained widespread attention through the TLC reality show "Jon & Kate Plus 8." Jon and Kate divorced in 2009, with Kate initially granted sole physical custody of their eight children. By 2018, Jon had obtained custody of Collin and Hannah. Information on child abuse hotlines is available for those affected by such issues.