Collin Gosselin‘s new memoir has just been released, and as expected it’s chock full of allegations about the mistreatment he received from mom Kate Gosselin, including claims of both physical and mental abuse.
One part of the book, “In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood,” features Collin’s recollection of the one and only time his mother visited him in the psychiatric institution to which she had him committed — and where he remained for nearly two years. According to Collin, Kate coldly told him, “You broke our family.”
She responded to the book’s publication by taking to social media, writing, “Rational logical [people] or anyone who has dealt with mental illness understands what’s going on here,” she said of the numerous allegations within the memoir.
Jon Gosselin Speaks Out
Now, Kate’s ex-husband Jon Gosselin is sharing his thoughts on their son’s book, and it’s fair to say he sees things from a very different perspective than she does.
“First and foremost I couldn’t be more proud of my son’s heartbreaking memoir and his mission to help other victims of abuse,” Jon said in a statement to Us Weekly.
Jon, who co-starred with Kate and their eight children in hit TLC reality show “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” continued by disputing her characterization of Collin as being mentally ill.
“Also, let me be very clear: if you continue to falsely label my son Collin as ‘mentally ill’ you will be held accountable,” his statement sternly warned.
“As you know, Collin has been evaluated by multiple independent psychiatrists, and that narrative is proven categorically untrue,” he added. “Repeating false claims about his mental health is damaging to his reputation, his credibility, and his future.”
He concluded his statement by backing up the claims made in Collin’s book. “Consider this fair warning: the days of using mental health to discredit and silence my son are over,” he said.
This new statement echoes an earlier one that Jon issued to People back in 2023, responding to her previous assertion of Collin’s mental instability.
“Regarding these brand new false accusations, it seems clear that even today after not seeing her son since the 6th grade, Kate is unable to control her abusive words towards him. Do not forget that a judge awarded temporary sole legal and physical custody of Collin to his father in 2018. Kate never even showed up to court and never spoke to Collin ever again,” he stated.
‘In The Shadow of Eight’
Back in June, Collin first announced that his memoir would be arriving in the fall.
“For a long time, I wasn’t sure I’d ever tell this story,” he wrote in a post he shared via Instagram.
“Growing up, millions of people watched my life on television. People felt like they knew me. They knew my family. They watched me grow up. But there was so much they never saw,” he continued.
“For years, I kept those experiences to myself. Some because I was afraid. Some because I didn’t think anyone would believe me. And some because I just wasn’t ready,” he added.
Writing this book forced me to revisit some of the hardest moments of my life, but it also gave me something I’ve been searching for for a long time: my voice,” he shared, before concluding, “This isn’t the story people think they know. It’s the story I’ve lived.”
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Jon Gosselin Breaks Silence On Son Collin’s Book, Refutes Ex-Wife Kate’s Mental Illness Claims