Jon & Kate Plus 8 star Collin Gosselin is speaking to the media as an adult for the first time, and he is ready to spill the tea.
In an exclusive with Entertainment Tonight, Gosselin detailed what he’s been up to since the show ended, and more about his estrangement from mother Kate Gosselin.
Sharing his story
The reality show Jon & Kate Plus 8 ran from 2007-2017, and also inspired several spin-offs. One of the Gosselin siblings, who are now all legal adults, sat down with ET’s Kevin Frazier recently to tell his side of the infamous story.
18-year-old Collin Gosselin has been in the news on and off for his shocking institutionalization at age 12. For the first time he is addressing why he went to the facility, and the reasons he blames Kate Gosselin.
At the time of the institutionalization, Kate was quoted as saying Collin had “special needs.”
“Collin has special needs. [There’s] a fairly fluid diagnosis of what those needs are, but he needs to learn certain strategies to help him deal with things. This has been a struggle we’ve had for a very long time, and it’s one I’ve dealt with on my own. I’ve felt very alone in this. By the same token, it’s not something that has only impacted me or him — our entire family has been impacted.”
This shocking claim is one the former reality star is now refuting on his own behalf. Collin Gosselin claims Kate was operating by her “own agenda” and he “doesn’t know what it was.”
A horrible institution
Collin was institutionalized twice between the ages of 12 and 14. During one of his stays, he pleaded with father Jon Gosselin to help get him out.
In letters shown by ET, you can see the desperation in his wanting to escape. Not understanding why he was there, Collin calls the experience “damaging” and “hopeless.”
The Gosselin family crumbled around this time, split apart by feuds, lawsuits and divorce.
narrator: it was not a misunderstanding pic.twitter.com/yUZTKLeNSx
— Reality By Ashley (@RealityByAshley) May 1, 2022
Are the Gosselin siblings fractured?
In the most heart wrenching part of the interview, Gosselin addressed his siblings. The Kate Plus 8 star says he hasn’t spoken to Alexis, Leah, Joel, Cara, Hannah, and Mady all together in “5 or 6” years.
Frazer asks if he’d like to send a message to his brothers and sisters and what happens next is heart wrenching. Collin tries to answer the question but breaks down and is unable to finish his answer.
Ultimately the former reality star says that “once he has children” he hopes that they will be able to have a relationship with “their aunts and uncles.”
Looks like Collin Gosselin still believes in a strong family bond, even if his mother doesn’t.
Ashley Marie is a writer for Starcasm and the personality behind Twitter’s @RealityByAshley. You can contact Ashley via Twitter or email at realitybyashley(at)gmail.com
