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'Jon & Kate Plus 8' star Collin Gosselin accuses mom of trying to 'bury' him to ‘protect her reputation’
By Stephanie Giang-Paunon
Published October 14, 2026
Collin Gosselin is taking aim at his estranged mother, Kate Gosselin, accusing the former reality TV star of trying to "bury" him to protect her public image as he makes allegations of childhood abuse in his new memoir, "In the Shadow of Eight."
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, the "Jon & Kate Plus 8" alum said he has not spoken to Kate since he was 13 and would need an apology and accountability before considering reconciliation.
"I'd like an apology, simply put, an apology and for her to admit, and just take accountability for what she did," Collin, 22, said.
Collin Gosselin claimed his mother, Kate Gosselin, had him institutionalized against his will. (Michael Simon)
"And to say, you know, 'I'm sorry that I've soiled your name, and I've made every effort to bury you, to protect my reputation,' I think that'd be very honest and very powerful for her to say that … just show accountability because everything she's done to protect her reputation, it's all been at my cost."
In his memoir, "In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood," Collin alleged he endured physical abuse, isolation and forced psychiatric medication as a child. He also compared his experience in a treatment facility to being sent to a juvenile detention center, saying it left lasting scars.
Kate continued filming with her children following her split from Jon Gosselin. (Donna Svennevik/Disney General Entertainment Content)
Kate recently spoke out for the first time following her estranged son's book release.
On Oct. 10, the former reality star posted a video on TikTok with an update about her dog. The video's comments section of the video was later filled with TikTok users discussing Collin's memoir. Over the following days, Kate responded to some select comments.
One commenter wrote, "I know you already know this, but you have the support of so many. Most importantly your seven precious children." Kate shares eight children with her ex-husband, Jon Gosselin. The TikTok user added that their feed was "flooded with such terrible lies. It should be illegal to defame someone that way, but I just wanted to say you are doing a great job keeping your head up through all of this. We love you!"
"I know rational logical ppl or anyone who has dealt with mental illness understands what’s going on here :)," Kate replied.
Kate Gosselin shared her first comments following the release of her son Collin's memoir. (Getty Images)
Kate also liked another comment in the thread that claimed "he will regret all of this someday" and alleged that he'd been "encouraged and enabled by other dysfunctional and mentally ill people." The commenter added, "I'm just sorry that you have to relive this over and over."
Kate later replied, "Exactly! I had nothing to do with it, except for consent because it was medically necessary."
Fox News Digital has reached out to Kate for comment.
Kate Gosselin shared her thoughts in the comments section of her TikTok video, which was an update on her dog. (David Buchan/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images)
Collin’s memoir accused Kate of restraining him with zip ties, hitting him when he failed to perform for cameras and isolating him in the family’s basement. The mother and son had been estranged for years, and Collin eventually moved in with his father, Jon, after his parents’ 2009 divorce.
KATE GOSSELIN CALLED A 'MONSTER' IN SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTS AFTER SON COLLIN ANNOUNCES MEMOIR
Meanwhile, Collin told Fox News Digital he held on to hope even during what he described as his darkest moments.
"I had very little hope, but I always had some, and I hung on to that … I just kept telling myself that there's a better future for me and there will be a time where I will be past this," he said.
The former child star said sharing his story had weighed on him for years before he finally decided to speak publicly.
WATCH: COLLIN GOSSELIN BLASTS MOM KATE FOR 'BURYING' HIM TO SAVE HER REPUTATION
"It was heavy on my heart, my whole life, but especially now, it was just, I just felt like it was the time to do that," he said.
The rift with Kate remains deep. Collin recalled a visit from his mother when he was 13, claiming the encounter left him with a painful final memory.
"She berated me for all of 20 minutes after not seeing me for over a year," he said.
KATE GOSSELIN DEFENDS HERSELF AGAINST SON COLLIN AS HE PREPARES TO RELEASE SHOCKING NEW MEMOIR
Collin Gosselin accuses his estranged mother, Kate Gosselin, of physical abuse, isolation and forcing him to take psychiatric medication during his childhood. (Getty Images)
Collin also described the effects of the psychiatric medication he said he was allegedly forced to take as a child, saying it left him feeling like a "zombie." In his memoir, he portrayed his childhood away from the cameras that made his family famous as deeply isolating.
WATCH: COLLIN GOSSELIN DETAILS ALLEGED ABUSE, CONFRONTS FAMILY TRAUMA
Despite the estrangement, Collin said he had not ruled out taking a call from Kate. But forgiveness, he stressed, would not automatically mean reconciliation.
"Reconciliation requires action and accountability," he said.
Former "Jon & Kate Plus 8" star Collin Gosselin alleges his mother, Kate Gosselin, tried to "bury" him to protect her public image. (Donna Svennevik/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images | Brad Barket/WireImage for Discovery Communications)
"I think we can all say, 'I'm sorry,' but if we're not willing to take the actions and take accountability for what has happened in the past and what happened my entire childhood, then what does that really mean, you know?"
Collin said he remains open to hearing from his mother, hoping she might acknowledge what he alleges happened during his childhood.
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WATCH: COLLIN GOSSELIN RECLAIMS CONTROL OF HIS TV CAREER AS AN ADULT
"I think I'd take the call out of curiosity and just to hope that maybe she would admit to the things that she did to me when I was a child," he said.
Now, Collin is stepping back into the spotlight on his own terms as a contestant on the fifth season of FOX's "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test," a move he said carries special significance after growing up on reality television.
Contestant Collin Gosselin appears in Season Five of "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test," premiering Thursday, September 24, on Fox. (FOX TV)
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"It was so powerful to be able to come back to TV on my own terms as an adult and rather than being a young child being pressured to perform on the daily," he said.
He also stressed that children should have a say in whether their lives are broadcast to the public.
Collin Gosselin opens up about his troubled childhood and strained relationship with his mother, Kate Gosselin, in his new memoir, "In the Shadow of Eight." (Michael Simon/Getty Images)
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"When a child does not want to be on TV, that should be their decision to make. And we should let them make that decision," he said.
Collin and his seven siblings shot to fame on "Jon & Kate Plus 8," which chronicled Kate and Jon Gosselin raising their twin daughters, Mady and Cara, now 26, alongside sextuplets Collin, Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Leah and Joel, now 22.
The series aired from 2007 to 2009 before returning as "Kate Plus 8" in 2010. After the couple divorced, Collin was institutionalized as a preteen before Jon was awarded custody and he moved in with his father.
Collin's memoir, "In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood," is out now.
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