Kate Gosselin Responds to Son Collin's Abuse Allegations in New Memoir
Kate Gosselin addressed claims made by her son Collin in his memoir alleging abuse and neglect, while both sides continue to exchange statements on social media.
Kate Gosselin entered the public discussion after her son Collin Gosselin released a memoir that accuses her of a pattern of abuse, isolation and neglect during his childhood. The book, titled In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood, was released in early October and quickly sparked commentary on social media platforms.
In a post on October 10, Gosselin shared a photo of a custom mug and mentioned her dog Koda’s health, prompting users to comment on Collin’s allegations. One TikTok user expressed support for Gosselin, saying it should be illegal to defame someone and praising her for “keeping your head up.” Gosselin replied, “I know rational logical ppl or anyone who has dealt with mental illness understands what’s going on here.”
When another user suggested Collin would “regret all of this someday,” Gosselin responded, “Exactly! I had nothing to do with it, except for consent because it was medically necessary.” Representatives for Gosselin did not respond to a request for comment.
Collin’s memoir details an alleged runaway attempt, confinement in a basement bedroom, an incident where his mother zip-tied him, and a 20-month stay at Fairmount Behavioral Health System. In an interview, he said he has not spoken with his mother since the institutionalization and has been living with his father Jon Gosselin and sister Hannah since 2018.
The family’s online feud has been ongoing. In June, Gosselin responded to a TikTok comment urging her to sue her son, noting that as a public figure “rules are different.” In July 2023, she posted on Instagram that Collin had multiple psychiatric diagnoses and that, for family safety, she placed him in an institution following an alleged outburst involving a weapon. Collin has denied these claims and cited a medical evaluation that found he did not meet criteria for six psychiatric diagnoses.
Kate Gosselin first appeared on the reality series Jon & Kate Plus 8 from 2007 to 2009, later continuing the show as Kate Plus 8 after her divorce from Jon Gosselin in 2009.