As his memoir drops, the son of a reality star alleges his mother was "physically and verbally abusive."
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On the surface, Jon & Kate Plus 8 was a reality show about a fun family with a strong-willed mother (Kate Gosselin), a henpecked husband (Jon Gosselin), and their 8 cute kids. However, one of the titular Plus 8, Collin Gosselin, paints a much different picture from behind the scenes.
On Oct. 12, the 22-year-old appeared on the On Purpose podcast as a guest. During the interview, Collin alleges that Child & Youth Services visited their home "many" times. This dates back to 2006, when he was just 2 years old.
"My mom would be physically and verbally abusive to me," In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood author told host Jay Shetty.
Collin Gosselin Claims His Mother Had a Room 'Specifically Built' to Lock Him Away In
The former reality star then claimed that his mother routinely locked him away in a room "specifically built" in the famous family's basement.
"It's not just like a bedroom where, you know, that's a part of the house that, you know, you just put your kid in, and you flip the lock around and lock them," Collin recalled. "She had a room specifically built in the storage part of our unfinished basement. It was cinder block walls and cement floors."
He also alleged that his mother once used zip ties to bind his hands together while locked in the room
Elsewhere in the interview, Collin also claimed he was institutionalized by his mother at the age of 12. He claimed duriing his stay, he wasn't allowed to have sugar or see his father.
"She had just dumped me in an institution with no reason to. Besides the fact that she wanted to get me out of the house so that I wouldn't keep trying to show the world what she was doing," Collin alleged.
Collin showed a document he alleged to be from a registered nurse from Fairmount, the first mental facility he was admitted to. One portion of the nurses notes he claims was essentially a direct quote from his mom.
"He always tells wild stories. I've been investigated before," Collin read. "Yes, I have a room that I lock him in, and a psychiatrist approved that."
Reality Star's Son Recounts Telling Child Protective Services About Mother Binding Hands with Zip Ties
Meanwhile, Collin claimed that his repeated calls for help fell on deaf ears. He alleged that Child Protective Services dismissed his claims, despite what he claims has been documented bruising from his mom's abuse.
"I told them about the whole situation with the room I was locked in a room. I wanted to get out, which is completely justified. Any child that feels locked in a room, I don't think they're wrong for wanting to get out and leave the home, because they feel that sense of danger," Collin alleged. "This report details everything. 'Child told us that he was zip-tied. Child had bruises on his knees,' and I talk about why those were there, because my mom had picked me up and dropped me on the floor, and it details everything. And then you look at the determination of the report, and you know what it says? Unfounded."
He went on to detail the roadblocks children who report abuse can go through if their parents are savvy. Oftentimes, the children aren't removed from the abusive home and have to face their parents after the allegations. A tricky situation, to say the least.
So far, Kate Gosselin hasn't publicly commented on the allegations.
In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood hits bookstores today.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org? or by texting "START" to 88788.
