Collin Gosselin alleges confinement in basement cell in new memoir
In his memoir, Collin Gosselin claims his mother, Kate Gosselin, confined him to a small basement room for two years, a claim the mother has previously denied.
Collin Gosselin, now 22, says his memoir "In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood" details being locked in a small, unfinished-basement room for two years while his mother, Kate Gosselin, arranged the space. He describes the room as having a single high window, an air mattress, a pillow, and constant surveillance via a camera linked to a handheld monitor that was passed among household staff.
According to the memoir, the room was off-limits to the crew filming the family’s reality show at the time, and Collin was allowed to eat only after his siblings had finished, hearing them through basement vents. He recounts pleading to his mother through the cameras and being unable to use the bathroom while confined.
"He has received multiple psychiatric diagnoses over the years. … Collin’s distorted perception of reality is one of the many issues that he has always struggled with," Kate Gosselin said in a 2023 statement to People, adding that she and her other children have not been directly involved in his life because of his reported unpredictable behavior.
The memoir’s release follows previous disputes between the siblings and their parents, including a 2018 custody decision that granted Jon Gosselin sole custody of Collin. A source close to the family told Page Six that Kate Gosselin was uneasy about the book’s publication, expressing concern that family members discussing past events could be seen as disloyal.
Collin told Page Six that the book aims to reveal his experiences and protect other children, stating, "I’m an adult now, and there’s enough of my life that my mom took from me and my childhood that she robbed from me."