Kate Gosselin Told Estranged Son, 'You Broke Our Family,' During Only Mental Institution Visit, Claims Collin

Collin Gosselin claims his mother, Kate Gosselin, told him "You broke our family" during her only visit to the mental institution where he was admitted at age 12. These words are recounted in his new book, "In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood."

Collin, now 22, describes the encounter as tense. He states that his mother appeared "disappointed" and he surmised she was "horrified" by his weight gain. Kate Gosselin allegedly advised them on healthy eating, but Collin notes he had little control over his diet in the facility. "I ate what they gave me. And now, well, I was fat," he writes.

During the visit, Collin recalls a "stiff" hug with his mother and telling her he missed her, but she reportedly ignored his sentiment. A doctor present informed Kate that Collin had "lashed out a couple times," which Collin attributes to his intense desire to go home.

Collin was reportedly surprised when his mother addressed the doctor, Jack, by his first name, questioning their level of contact. After the doctor left, Collin presented origami gifts for his seven siblings, but Kate refused to take them, which he felt was a sign she wouldn't accept him either.

In a "desperate" plea, Collin asked to come home, but Kate allegedly responded that it "wouldn't be appropriate" and claimed his siblings were "doing so much better" without him. She then reportedly bragged about birthday cakes for the sextuplets and shared summer plans, before reiterating the accusation that Collin was responsible for breaking up the family.

Collin wrote that he "started to sob" and covered his face. He states that he does not remember saying goodbye as a nurse escorted him back, marking the first and last time his mother visited him in the institution.

Collin alleges in his memoir that his mother's actions contributed to his difficult childhood, including his placement in the facility in 2016. Kate Gosselin previously stated in 2023 that Collin was placed in the institution after years of outpatient treatment proved insufficient and for the "safety of myself, his brothers and sisters, and for his own well-being," adding that he "remains a very troubled young man."

However, Collin alleged in a 2025 interview with The Sun that he was sent away because he no longer wanted to be filmed with his mother for TLC's "Kate Plus 8" following his parents' 2009 divorce.

Collin eventually regained custody through his father, Jon Gosselin. A source told Page Six last month that Kate Gosselin is "nervous" about the memoir and considers family members who speak out about their past to be "traitors."