Collin Gosselin alleges abuse by mother Kate Gosselin in new memoir

Collin Gosselin, who appeared on the reality series "Jon & Kate Plus 8" as one of the sextuplets, released a memoir titled "In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood" that accuses his mother, Kate Gosselin, of repeated physical and emotional abuse. The book describes incidents such as being restrained with zip ties, being confined in a basement bedroom that locked from the outside, and spending 22 months at Fairmount Behavioral Health System after a run-away attempt.

"My mom fed them so much stuff about me and they didn't see a lot of what happened," Gosselin told USA TODAY. "They would go off to school every day. I would be at home. I would bear the wrath of my mom."

Gosselin says his father, Jon Gosselin, obtained legal and physical custody of him and sister Hannah in 2018, while his other siblings have chosen to remain private. He recounts being repeatedly dragged by his ear and bound with zip ties, describing the experience as "unbelievable" and expressing a desire for a polygraph test to verify the allegations.

"I was dragged by my ear so many times. I don't think as an adult that's something that you do to a child," he said. "I think discipline and abuse … are two completely different things."

He also describes spending long periods alone in a locked basement room on weekends, hearing his siblings upstairs while being instructed by his mother to stay there. The memoir details his admission to the behavioral facility at age 11, where he felt imprisoned and questioned his continued stay.

Kate Gosselin and representatives for Fairmount Behavioral Health System did not respond to requests for comment. The book also critiques the lack of oversight for child performers, arguing that parental exploitation, rather than media exposure, poses the greatest risk to children in the entertainment industry.