Collin Gosselin memoir details alleged abuse and institutional stay
Collin Gosselin's new memoir recounts claims of physical discipline by his mother, confinement in a basement room, and a 20-month stay at a behavioral health facility.
Collin Gosselin, who grew up on TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8," released a memoir titled In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood. The book describes his experiences of discipline, confinement, and treatment at a behavioral health institution.
Gosselin alleges that his mother, Kate Gosselin, frequently grabbed his ear, pulled him across rooms and administered spankings that left bruises. He says a teacher once noticed an injured ear and referred him to a school counselor. He recounts that a child-welfare visit prompted him to deny any abuse, fearing retaliation.
According to the memoir, his mother later had a wall built in the family basement, creating a locked room with an air mattress and surveillance cameras. Gosselin claims the room could only be opened from the outside and that he required permission to leave for basic needs. He describes an attempted escape at age 11 that he abandoned after finding no safe destination.
Gosselin states he was admitted to Fairmount Behavioral Health System shortly before his 12th birthday and spent more than 20 months there. He says staff restrained and sedated him after he questioned his placement. He later transferred to a residential program and reunited with his father in 2018.
In 2023, Gosselin participated in a Marine-style training program. His mother posted on social media that he had multiple psychiatric diagnoses and had been placed in an institution for family safety. Gosselin disputes those claims, noting a later medical evaluation found no reported psychological issues.
"I knew that there was something abnormal about my life that needed to be talked about," Gosselin told USA TODAY.
"I don't think putting your hands on your kid on the daily is what I would consider discipline. It's not doing anything in the brain of a child besides damaging it," he added.
Gosselin, a junior at Penn State, said he intends to reenlist after graduation. Fairmount Behavioral Health and Kate Gosselin's representatives did not respond to requests for comment.