Collin Gosselin details alleged childhood abuse ahead of memoir release

Collin Gosselin, who grew up on the reality series "Jon & Kate Plus 8," spoke with ABC News' Juju Chang about claims of abuse he says occurred after his parents' 2009 divorce. He said his mother allegedly isolated him from his father, confined him to a locked basement room and, at one point, zip-tied his hands and feet when he attempted to run away. Gosselin recounted that a teacher noticed a swollen earlobe, which he said resulted from his mother dragging him across the room, prompting him to report the incident to a guidance counselor.

"My teacher saw ... and then I talked to my guidance counselor, and I told them about it," Gosselin told Chang.

He added that his mother later removed him from the home shortly before his 12th birthday and placed him in an institution where he received medication and had limited family contact. After a year, he claimed to have written a note to his father asking for rescue, which was delivered by a friend.

Gosselin said his father eventually secured his release through the courts, allowing him to move in with his dad and sister Hannah. In 2023, he underwent an independent psychological evaluation that found no mental health diagnoses, a result he said did not surprise him.

"I knew I'd go through life every day as a functioning member of society. It's just that I needed it on paper," he said.

The memoir, titled "In the Shadow of Eight," is scheduled for publication on October 13. Gosselin, now a college finance student, expressed a desire to reconnect with his six other siblings, acknowledging that relationships may have changed.

"No matter what's happened or what was said, no matter how things look from the outside, I love you, I always have and always will," he wrote to them.

Kate Gosselin previously described the allegations as "unfounded" and said her decision to place Collin in treatment was "the best thing I can do for him right now." Neither Kate Gosselin nor TLC responded to requests for comment, and Jon Gosselin declined to be interviewed.