Collin Gosselin Reveals Real Reason Why He Believes Mom Kate Sent Him to a Behavioral Institute at Age 12

Yamillah HurtadoWed, July 1, 2026 at 8:54 PM UTC

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Collin Gosselin; Kate GosselinCredit: Collin Gosselin/Instagram; Getty -

Collin Gosselin shared his theory on why his estranged mom Kate Gosselin sent him to a behavioral institute when he was 12

In an interview with The Sun, Collin, 22, claimed it was because he questioned his mom and no longer wanted to be on their reality show

"That questioning led to me later not wanting to be on camera, and that really killed her," he said

Collin Gosselin has theories about why his estranged mom Kate Gosselin sent him away when he was 12.

After Jon & Kate Plus 8 reality stars Kate and Jon Gosselin's 2009 divorce, Kate was awarded custody of their eight children — twins Cara and Madelyn, and sextuplets Collin, Alexis, Aaden, Leah, Joel and Hannah. Then, she sent Collin to a behavioral institution for what she claimed to be “unpredictable and violent behavior” when he was 12.

In a September 2025 interview with The U.S. Sun, now published in full on June 27, Collin, 22, said he believes his mom sent him away because he questioned why Kate Plus 8 continued after his parents' divorce and he no longer wanted to be on camera.

“I was stubborn enough to question my mom,” Collin said. “I questioned her about everything, and that came before the rebellion of me not wanting to be on camera and be a part of her circus.… That questioning led to me later not wanting to be on camera, and that really killed her.”

Collin GosselinCredit: StrangeMcKnights/YouTube

“I don't know what reason it was, whether it was her reputation she was saving by sending me away from home, or whether it was the fact that maybe it's easier to sign a work permit for seven children that are voluntary, instead of seven children that are voluntary and one that's involuntary,” he continued. “So there are a lot of things to question there.”

In the 22 months that Collin was away, he said, Kate visited “one time for probably about 20 minutes, and the whole time I was blamed.”

“It was about a year of me being there, and the whole time I had these glasses on and tears coming down my face. I was overweight. I was sick. They had me on all these medications,” Collin said. “And she's sitting there looking at her kid, who was clearly not who he used to be and sick and just out of it. And she's just telling me that I broke her family, that my siblings want nothing to do with me, all that stuff.”

A lawyer for Kate declined to comment when reached by PEOPLE on July 1.

In a 2024 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Collin recalled feeling scared when he was sent away from his home. “I didn't know what was going on. I didn't know where I was going,” he said at the time. “That was the most scared I've probably ever been in my life. I didn't even say goodbye [to my siblings].”

“Our family was under a spotlight 24/7… I know strongly that the reason I was sent away was for my mother to protect her reputation,” Collin added.

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Kate said in 2016 that Collin had "special needs." In response, Collin told Entertainment Tonight in 2022: "It's unfortunate that that's how my mom, you know, phrased me as a person. You know, I don't see those things and I don't think anybody else sees those things, but if that's how she sees me then, you know, that's her point of view."

'Jon & Kate Plus 8'Credit: TLC

Then, in an episode of Vice TV's Dark Side of the 2000s that aired in July 2023, Collin claimed his mother's alleged abuse was the reason she sent him away. "I was starting to tell people what was going on at home, and she caught wind of that and had to put me somewhere where I wouldn't be able to get the secrets out,” he said.

In the special, Jon claimed he spent $1 million to get Collin out of treatment. In 2019, Jon told the Daily Mail that his son had no known diagnosed medical condition at that time other than common ADHD.

Shortly after the Vice TV episode aired, Kate responded to Jon and Collin's accusations in a statement.

"I have never wanted to have to do this, but I feel I have been backed into a corner and left with no choice. Although it saddens me to do so, I need to speak out now," she said, in part, at the time. "My son Collin, whom I love with all my heart, has received multiple psychiatric diagnoses over the years. For the safety of myself, his brothers and sisters, and for his own well-being, he was placed in a facility following years of outpatient treatment which proved insufficient for his needs."

"Collin's distorted perception of reality is one of the many issues that he has always struggled with. As many people who have family members grappling with mental health issues can attest, it is rarely and sadly surprising when complete fabrications occur, and this is just another heartbreaking facet of this fight," she continued. "Unfortunately, I believe Collin remains a very troubled young man who continues to need a lot of help. His brothers and sisters and I have not been directly involved in his life due to his history of unpredictable behavior and violent tendencies towards us."

Jon later responded to her statement, telling PEOPLE, "Regarding these brand new false accusations, it seems clear that even today after not seeing her son since the sixth 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.”

Elsewhere in The Sun interview, Collin said the idea of writing his forthcoming memoir, In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood, came to him while he was institutionalized. He said writing his book has been “almost therapeutic.”

The publisher's description of In the Shadow of Eight, which comes out Oct. 13, says it is the "first account of a secret childhood lived in the gaps between the frames. Collin is finally sharing the truth about being held down, the basement cell where he was hidden for years, and the cocktail of powerful antipsychotics forced on an 11-year-old boy. This is a reckoning with the dark side of fame: the systems, the entourage, and the institutions that allowed one boy to be erased. This is the never-before-told story of how he escaped and found his way back from the dark."

In recent weeks, Kate has continued posting on TikTok, and the comments section of her videos are often filled with people bringing up the drama, either to offer support or share reactions. Under a June 29 video, one follower wrote, "Sending you love Kate! You know your truth and what a great mom you are." In response, Kate, 51, thanked the person and wrote, "I’m fine. Nothing surprises me anymore in that department."

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”