The book, published Tuesday, gives readers a blistering portrayal of the “Jon & Kate Plus 8” alum’s allegedly “dark” and “violent” childhood — particularly taking aim at mom Kate Gosselin.
uncertain
book → publish → Gosselin
The 22-year-old announced in January that he had a tell-all on the way, with the cover reveal featuring a throwback photo of Kate, 51, covering young Collin’s mouth with her hand.
“This is not a story for entertainment, it is a story to instill responsibility in everyone to advocate and speak up against abuse, injustice and the exploitation of children,” Collin wrote via Instagram in June.
asserted
Collin → announce → June
She has previously denied his “heartbreaking” claims of abuse, dismissing them via Instagram in 2023 as “complete fabrications” and claiming her son’s “distorted perception of reality is one of the many issues that he always struggled with.”
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he → deny → that
Most recently, Kate wrote via TikTok in July that she doesn’t “feel [the] need to defend” herself publicly.
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she → write → herself
Reps for TLC and Kate have yet to respond to Page Six’s requests for comment on Collin’s allegations.
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Reps → have → allegations
Exhausting experience filming ‘Jon & Kate Plus 8’
Collin and his sextuplet siblings — Joel, Aaden, Hannah, Leah and Alexis — as well as twins Madelyn and Cara appeared on “Jon & Kate Plus 8” between 2007 and 2010, then on “Kate Plus 8” for six more seasons after Kate and Jon Gosselin’s divorce.
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Collin → film → Kate
In his book, Collin denied any “oversight” or “structure” in terms of how often he was in front of cameras as a child.
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he → deny → child
He claimed that in the making of the TLC show, which allegedly earned the network a whopping $186 million each quarter, the little ones filmed “as much as the studio wanted” and “as much as [Kate] wanted.”
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Kate → claim → million
Collin recalled feeling “trapped” by the “daily pressure to perform” for the cameras — so he began “resisting filming.”
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he → recall → filming
He explained that this was not a “dramatic” resistance,” instead characterized by his refusal to “smile on cue” and “play along.”
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this → explain → cue
Divorce drama
Collin revealed to readers that his “most vivid memory” as a child was a “scary” fight overheard between Kate and Jon prior to their 2009 split.
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memory → reveal → split
He recalled the former couple allegedly “raging” at each other in a “loud and explosive” argument that left himself and his siblings “trembling.”
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that → recall → himself
Collin, who claimed Kate allegedly swung a pair of headphones “through the air like a weapon” before discarding them “in the middle of the foyer,” said his parents’ “resentment … spilled out” in the rare moments cameras were off.
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cameras → claim → moments
He did not remember what was said besides Kate allegedly telling her then-husband to “shut up” and Jon arguing that his then-wife “never listen[ed]” to him.
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wife → remember → him
The duo were married for 10 years before calling it quits.
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duo → call → it
Verbal abuse accusations
Collin claimed Kate yelled at all of her children “for everyday things” — but that her language toward him “escalated more often and more intensely” once he started pulling back from the show.
The former reality star, who allegedly was the only one of his siblings who had to earn back his Christmas gifts for “good behavior,” recalled being regularly pulled aside and reminded to “get with the program.”
Collin wrote that his mom aimed a “constant drip of words meant to cut” at him.
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mom → claim → him
The alleged verbal abuse included dubbing him “untrustworthy,” a “bad kid” and “nothing like his siblings.”
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abuse → allege → siblings
In addition to being the sole child Kate homeschooled, Collin also recalled being the only one kept from custodial visits to Jon’s house.
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Collin → homeschoole → house
Instead, he alleges he was told, “Your dad doesn’t want to see you.”
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dad → allege → you
Physical abuse claims
Kate’s alleged maltreatment of Collin extended into physical abuse as well, he claimed.
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he → allege → abuse
He described being allegedly “yanked” by his ear and more in his book, labeling the alleged acts as “quick, decisive [and] meant to correct.”
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He → describe → acts
He detailed one alleged instance when he accidentally broke a cabinet door by opening it too wide, claiming Kate “grabbed [him] by the ear and drag[ged] him across the room.”
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Kate → detail → room
Collin, who claimed he and his siblings were all “spanked … frequently,” alleged he was swatted on the backside that time with a “red plastic serving spoon from the kitchen” that “hurt a lot.”
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that → claim → kitchen
Attempt to flee
Collin described an attempt to flee the basement he claims to have been locked in.
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he → flee → basement
He allegedly scaled his air mattress and climbed out a window — but ultimately returned home on his own volition.
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He → scale → volition
Collin alleged that upon his return, Kate subsequently confronted him “like a freight train,” using zip ties to restrain his wrists and ankles.
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Kate → allege → wrists
He wrote that after being bound, Kate allegedly pulled him to his feet, only to push him down onto his tailbone.
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Kate → write → tailbone
She allegedly called Collin a “burden” to their family, as well as “crazy, dangerous and other names nobody should ever call a child.”
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nobody → call → family
Banished to the basement
Collin allegedly spent two years of his childhood primarily locked in the aforementioned basement, which he described as a “holding cell” that was “tiny, unfurnished” and “always cold.”
Writing that the room was filled with books, no toys and deemed “forbidden to anyone else,” he noted that a camera allegedly monitored his every move.
Collin explained to readers that while he could hear his siblings playing and eating above, he was allegedly kept from them — and brought up after dinner was over to eat his own meal by himself.
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dinner → banish → himself
He recalled the “shame” he felt from once wetting his pants despite having yelled into the monitor to be let out to use the restroom.
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he → recall → restroom
The alleged entrapment made Collin feel like a “ghost” in his own home.
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Collin → allege → home
His sister Hannah, who left Kate’s home to live with Jon and Collin in 2018, backed her brother’s claims that he was “separated” from the family in the “Dark Side of the 2000s” documentary in 2023.
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he → leave → 2023
“He would not get to come and play outside with us,” she alleged at the time.
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she → get → time
“He would eat dinner at different times than us.”
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He → eat → us
Investigations by social services
According to the claims in Collin’s book, Kate was investigated by Children & Youth services multiple times during his upbringing.
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Kate → accord → upbringing
The visits began when Collin, who spent most of his time in the basement at this point, was questioned by a teacher about pain in his ear.
Believing that there would be “consequences” if he shared his story with CYS — and allegedly seeing Kate watching his conversation with the investigator through the door — he gave a positive reflection of his life at home.
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he → begin → home
Kate pulled Collin from school shortly after the first CYS visit, which his siblings allegedly told him had been done due to “bad behavior.”
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siblings → pull → behavior
Collin also recalled being forbidden him from playing with Legos, a punishment he referred to this as the “real, high cost” of rocking the boat.
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he → recall → boat
In 2016, Kate told ABC, “I’m in the public eye.
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I → tell → eye
I have been investigated many times …
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I → investigate → ?
…and 35 more, not listed.