Kate Gosselin’s Son Is Defended by Dad’s Ex from Real Mother Who ‘Caged’ Him in Institution for Years

• Jon Gosselin and Kate Gosselin's glamorized marriage ended with Kate taking custody of their eight children.
• A decade after their divorce, Jon claimed Kate mentally tortured and abused their son, Collin, and daughter, Hannah.
• Collin eventually lived with his father and sister. He also found love and protection with his father's partner, now ex.

Jon Gosselin and Kate Gosselin became famous on their hit TLC show "Jon & Kate Plus 8," which premiered in 2007. The reality show, which ran for five seasons, featured the family's set of twins and sextuplets.

"Jon & Kate Plus 8" was such as phenomenal show that in 2009, 10.6 million people tuned in to watch Jon and Kate's televised separation announcement. After the split, Kate got physical custody of the pair's eight children.

Kate announced during their breakup that she wasn't very fond of the idea of splitting with her husband. However, the couple didn't give a clear reason for it. Jon couldn't talk about the divorce for years as a gag order was imposed upon him.

When the gag order was lifted after a decade, Jon confessed that TLC covered up the real reason why their divorce happened. Jon alleged that Kate left him for somebody else. He added that Kate had a relationship with someone else involved in the series right under his nose.

Jon said he ended the marriage when he found out about the relationship, but Kate denied having an affair. Jon also opened up about how Kate raised their eight kids after the divorce. He claimed Kate tortured their son Collin and abused their daughter Hannah.

Kate sent Collin to a special needs institution in Philadelphia for three years because she claimed he had special needs. She added that she had dealt with Collin's issue for a long time alone and that it had impacted the entire family.

Collin was 12 when he was admitted and spent his 13th and 14th birthday there. Jon claimed that Collin, who has ADHD, sent devastating letters to him, pleading to rescue him. He added that Collin was "caged" at the institution, and when he got out, his son suffered PTSD.

Collin also went off medication after getting a private psychiatric evaluation that disproved all his previous diagnoses. As per Colleen, even in boot camp, Collin sent her letters and showed strength and courage in the challenging training.

Jon accused Kate, who only visited her son three times in the institution, of keeping up with her "pattern of abuse." Kate used to ask their children to carry out tasks and chores that any normal child would find difficult to do.

Jon said Kate also mentally abused and alienated their daughter Hannah. He battled for the kids' custody and won, and Hannah and Collin were allowed to live with him. Collin further opened up about his life under the custody of his mom.

How Did Collin Get Out of the Special Needs Institution?

Collin said his relationship with his mother was ruined after she placed him in a special needs institution. Even before this, Collin and his mom weren't that close, and Kate's actions destroyed their relationship completely.

Jon's son was finally able to leave the institution after he wrote to his dad a gut-wrenching letter. In the letter, he asked Jon to "please come FAST" and "save him." In another letter, Collin wrote, "You're my dad, my savior, please help me. I'm counting on you to get me out of here. Daddy, I love you."

Collin said he wrote these letters because he was in a dark place mentally due to being in an institution. The place damaged him more than it helped him. He became hopeless and knew that contacting his dad was his only way out of there. It was like his redemption and a second chance to a beautiful future.

After his release from the institution, Collin moved in with his dad and sister, Hannah. In 2018, Jon was granted temporary full custody of Collin after Kate failed to show up for the hearing. In 2022, Collin said he hadn't spoken to his siblings in close to 6 years.

Collin would love to have a relationship with his siblings, talk to them, and have dinner together. He said he would love to catch up on the things he missed in his siblings' lives and recover the time they lost while separated.

Amidst tears, Collin confessed that he loved his sisters and brother very much, "I really hope that you know, one day when I have kids, that you know, my kids will know their aunt and uncles."

How Did Jon's Ex Defend Collin?

Collin's behavioral issue became a public debate after Kate said he had special needs that affected the entire family. Luckily, Jon's ex, Colleen Conrad, came to Collin's defense to set the record straight.

Colleen, who dated Jon for seven years, said she felt compelled to speak out after she heard the derogatory comments Kate and her daughter Mady made about Collin. Colleen called out Kate and Mady for making these comments, yet they hadn't been in Collin's life since he was 12.

Colleen said Collin was someone she loved dearly because he had been a significant person in her family's life. She added that Collin was in boot camp for the Marines and was unable to defend himself from his mom's and sister's comments. Furthermore, she said:

"After Jon and I separated, and Jon moved out, Collin lived with me until he turned 18 so I saw him every day. He thrived and was always kind and respectful. He never talked back to me. He was never violent and is far from being considered dangerous."

Colleen noted that Collin would always bring her white roses when he visited her. She said Collin was an amazing person who had worked so hard to overcome challenges. Collin achieved a 4.0 GPA and won the highest GPA award at his ROTC banquet.

Collin also went off medication after getting a private psychiatric evaluation that disproved all his previous diagnoses. As per Colleen, even in boot camp, Collin sent her letters and showed strength and courage in the challenging training.

Colleen said Collin would always be part of her life and that she would always support him because that's what family does. "The truth about Collin's character deserves praise, not unfounded accusations from those estranged from his life," she concluded.

Jon's representatives said that Jon was happy that Colleen had finally spoken out to defend his son. Jon and Colleen remained friends even after their split, and Jon is always grateful for how he and Colleen co-parented Collin well.

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