Jon & Kate Plus 8 was a reality television phenomenon that took viewers by storm when it first debuted in the early 2000s. If you haven’t heard of the Gosselins, Jon and Kate were a couple known for having sextuplets. Yes, sextuplets — meaning that Kate carried and birthed six children at once, on top of the twin daughters that were born before the rest of their siblings arrived. The family has historically gone through some tumultuous times, and now that the sextuplets are 18, some of them have begun speaking out about their experiences growing up. The most prominent of the sextuplets has to be Collin Gosselin, who recently opened up about the trauma that he endured in his childhood.
Collin sat down with Entertainment Tonight to openly talk about his childhood and his estranged relationship with his mother, Kate. So, what happened to Collin, and where does he actually stand with his family today at 18 years old?
Collin spoke about his time at a behavioral institution as one of the most prominent experiences from his childhood. He was only 12 years old when he was first sent to the facility, and spent both his 13th and 14th birthdays there as well. Kate has previously claimed that Collin was sent to the institution because he had “special needs.” Reacting to those statements, Collin said, “it’s unfortunate that that’s how my mom, you know, phrased me as a person. I don’t see those things, and I don’t think anybody else sees those things.” Her Campus reached out to Kate for comment, but did not hear back by the time of publication.
When asked about why he thought he was at the institution, Collin simply said that he believes that “everybody has their own agenda.” More specifically, he referenced his mother, claiming, “My mom had her own agenda, and I don’t know exactly what that was. But I was put in a tough spot and my agenda was to make it out on top of that tough spot.”
He attributed his departure from the institution to a letter that he sent his father where he begged him for help. “You’re my dad, my savior,” he reportedly wrote. “Please help me, […] I’m counting on you to get me out of here.”
After leaving the facility, Collin was able to move in with his father and twin sister, Hannah, with Jon gaining temporary full custody of him. Hannah is the only other Gosselin child that has participated in a public interview with ET, where she spoke about her childhood and her own relationship with her mother.
When asked about why she made the decision to live with her father, Hannah revealed that she’s always felt a stronger connection with Jon, continuing, “It was a difficult decision leaving my siblings, […] I just feel like there was unfair treatment in my mom’s house and I just wanted to live with my dad.”
Collin recalled not really having much of a relationship with his mother before or after going away. “After being there, I didn’t have a relationship with her, […] Even before [being] there, I don’t think we had much of a relationship.” Collin also revealed that he hasn’t seen his other six siblings in roughly five years. He broke down when speaking about his siblings, saying, “I love them very much.”
Collin doesn’t, however, think there’s no chance of repairing his relationship with his mother. In fact, he expressed that he would be open to a reconciliation with his mom in the future, stating that “it would be ideal” for them to have a relationship.
While Collin has lived most of his life in the public eye, it’s clear that many are rallying around him after his interview with ET. TikTok users have shown their support for his courage to come out and talk about the harsh realities of his childhood. Many have pointed out that even at the mere age of 18 years old, he was able to conduct himself so well, pointing out his intelligence while speaking about his trauma. It can’t be easy to have one’s family conflict broadcasted in such a way to the entire world, but Collin seems to have touched the hearts of many.