Kate Gosselin says her kids ‘know who I truly am.’ Her son alleges she zip-tied him and locked him in a room

Kate Gosselin insists her children know who she really is, but her estranged son, Collin Gosselin, has accused her of a very different reality behind cameras. In his new memoir, Collin alleges that his mother restrained him with zip ties and locked him inside a room during his childhood. The former Jon & Kate Plus 8 star is defending herself publicly.

According to People, Kate responded to a TikTok commenter who praised her sacrifices as a mother of eight. “I know who I am and my kids know who I truly am and to me, that’s all that matters,” she wrote. She also suggested that critics didn’t understand the challenges of having a family member with mental illness.

Her comments follow the October 13 release of Collin’s memoir, In the Shadow of Eight, which details allegations of physical and emotional abuse. Kate has previously denied abusing Collin, but the dispute now involves other family members, a former household employee, and an upcoming Netflix documentary about the Gosselins’ lives away from the cameras.

Collin says life behind the cameras was very different

When Jon & Kate Plus 8 premiered in 2007, viewers watched Jon and Kate Gosselin raise their twins and six younger children. Collin was one of the sextuplets whose childhood played out on television, but he now claims life inside the family home was far different from what audiences saw.

In his memoir, Collin alleges that Kate isolated him in a locked basement room over a period of approximately two years. He also claims she restrained his wrists and ankles with zip ties. During an NPR interview, he said he faced punishment when he resisted participating in the family’s reality show.

A former employee has also made allegations about Kate’s treatment of Collin. Ashley H., who worked as a housekeeper and occasional nanny for the family in 2013, told People she repeatedly witnessed Kate grab Collin and pull him from his chair by his ear. Ashley also claimed the children faced strict household rules and that she reported her concerns to Berks County Children and Youth Services after leaving the job. The agency has not publicly confirmed her account.

Kate has denied abusing Collin and previously expressed that her decisions about his care were intended to protect her family. Her attorney, Richard Puleo, told The Sun in 2024 that he didn’t believe she intentionally harmed her son. More recently, Kate suggested on TikTok that critics didn’t understand the challenges of having a relative with mental illness.

Collin has disputed his mother’s characterization of his mental health. As reported by TMZ, his father, Jon Gosselin, has since publicly supported his allegations and called for Kate to face criminal charges.

Collin says his sister previously backed up his allegations

Hannah Gosselin recently announced she was stepping away from the family’s public disagreements. In an October 21 TikTok statement, she claimed she hadn’t spoken to Collin in nearly a year but maintained relationships with Kate and their other siblings.

During an October 22 appearance on The View, Collin disputed her account, claiming they had met several times over the past year. He also alleged Hannah supported his abuse claims while filming an upcoming Netflix documentary and shared experiences of her own involving their mother.

TMZ reported that Collin accused Kate of influencing Hannah through financial support and family relationships, although he hasn’t provided independent evidence of those claims. Hannah hasn’t publicly confirmed his account of her documentary interview.

Netflix announced the documentary on October 21. Featuring Jon, Collin, and Hannah, it will revisit the family’s experiences growing up on reality television. Netflix hasn’t announced a release date.

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