Stephanie Gosselin, the wife of Jon Gosselin, has publicly offered support to her stepson Collin as tensions between Collin and his mother, Kate Gosselin, escalate ahead of Collin's memoir release. Stephanie, 37, who married Jon last year, reposted images shared by Collin, 22, on July 4th, expressing gratitude for members of the U.S. Armed Forces. "Love seeing you live the life you always deserved," Stephanie wrote in a caption accompanying the photos of Collin on a boat in Newport Beach, California. "And again, LIVE YOUR LIFE!" she added, a statement some interpret as a subtle jab at Kate Gosselin.
Collin, who has previously questioned how his mother managed funds allocated for him during his childhood, has also shown support for Stephanie and his father's former girlfriend, Colleen Conrad. On his birthday, Collin referred to Conrad, a nurse practitioner with whom Jon dated for seven years until their amicable split in 2021, as his "real mom" on Instagram. Conrad reciprocated the sentiment, stating, "I'll always be here for you and you are my son. I love you!"
Collin has been estranged from his mother since 2020, with the rift reportedly beginning in his childhood over his refusal to participate in the family's reality television show, "Kate Plus 8." Collin has claimed that his mother sent him to a behavioral institution in 2016, when he was 11 years old, as punishment for discussing her behavior with school staff and peers. Kate Gosselin has stated that Collin was placed in the facility due to "multiple psychiatric diagnoses" and "unpredictable and violent behavior," asserting that he required professional care beyond what outpatient treatment could offer.
The feud has intensified with Collin's announcement of an upcoming memoir, titled "In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood." The 304-page book, set to be released on October 13, details what he describes as "the hardest moments of my life." The memoir comes years after Jon and Kate Gosselin's 2009 divorce, following which Kate was awarded custody of all eight of their children. In 2011, Jon Gosselin was granted physical custody of Collin and his sister Hannah.
Collin has alleged physical and emotional abuse by his mother, including being locked in a basement room. He served as one of Jon's groomsmen at his intimate wedding to Stephanie in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Kate Gosselin has consistently denied her son's abuse allegations and has stated she would pursue legal action for defamation over the memoir if she were not a public figure. Responding to a TikTok user who encouraged her to "stay strong in your truth," the former reality star replied, "It’s THE absolute truth. And I don’t feel I need to defend myself or put it all out there!"