Collin Gosselin has spoken about alleged childhood abuse involving his mother, Kate Gosselin, recalling what he says he experienced while growing up on the reality television series Jon & Kate Plus 8. In an interview with NPR's Juana Summers, Collin described alleged physical, mental and emotional abuse, claiming he was punished when he no longer wanted to participate in the programme.
His account features in his memoir, In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood. During the interview, Collin also discussed spending 22 months in an institution, rebuilding his relationship with his father, Jon Gosselin, and his concerns about children appearing on reality television and family-influencer platforms.
Collin Gosselin Details Allegations Against Mum Kate
During the NPR interview, Collin alleged that his mother was physically abusive towards him during his childhood. He claimed she hit him, pulled his ear, slapped him, pushed him and yanked him around.
He also alleged that she once restrained his ankles and wrists with cable ties and locked him in his room.
'My mom was very, very physical with me, and it was just me,' Collin told NPR.
He said he also experienced years of mental and emotional abuse. When asked why he believed he had been isolated, Collin said he felt the situation was connected to his reluctance to continue appearing on television.
'I was being forced to perform,' he said. 'When I spoke up against that, I was punished.'
Kate has previously denied all allegations of abuse through her attorney, as NPR noted during the interview. The broadcaster also said it had contacted Kate and a former president of TLC, the network that aired the programme, but had not received responses to Collin's comments at the time of the interview.
The allegations remain Collin's account and should not be treated as established findings of abuse.
Collin Says He Spent 22 Months In An Institution
Collin told NPR that he was 11 when he was placed in an institution, where he remained for 22 months. He said adults did not explain why he was there, despite his attempts to ask questions. He recalled holding on to the hope that he would eventually live with his father and have what he described as a normal childhood.
During that period, Collin wrote a letter to Jon. He said he had believed his father resented him and did not want to see him because that was what he had been told by his mother. According to Collin, Jon later told him he had not known where his son was until he received the letter.
After Collin returned home, he said they had to learn how to be father and son again. He described their relationship today as close.
'And today, I mean, we're like best friends,' he told NPR.
Collin Calls For Better Protection For Children
The interview also addressed Collin's concerns about children appearing on reality television and family-influencer content online.
Asked what protections should exist for younger generations, he said adults needed to recognise when something was wrong and intervene rather than ignore warning signs.
'Adults first need to recognise what's going on, and when they see something that is not right, they need to speak up about it,' he said.
Collin added that he believed adults, institutions, organisations and television networks had failed to recognise or respond to what he says happened during his childhood. His message was straightforward: adults should pay attention when children say something is wrong and speak up when they believe a child may need help.
Family Estrangement And A Hope For Change
Collin also discussed his relationship with his siblings, saying he had not spoken to them for around eight years. He attributed the estrangement to what he said his mother had told them about him.
Despite the distance, Collin said he hoped his siblings would eventually get to know him and understand his perspective. He confirmed that he remains in contact with his sister Hannah, adding that they speak occasionally.
Asked what he hoped would come next, Collin said he wanted to continue using his voice to help others.
'I am hoping that if I can change the situation for one child, that makes it all worth it for me,' he told NPR.
His appeal for adults to speak up when they see something wrong remains central to his account of his childhood and his concerns about children growing up in front of cameras.
