The Truth About Collin Gosselin

Out of all of Kate and Jon Gosselin's eight kids, Kate Plus 8 fans tend to be the most interested in Collin Gosselin. Unfortunately, the curiosity often stems from confusion about his life and whereabouts. In fact, ever since Kate revealed in August 2016 that Collin no longer lives at home with his family, people have taken to social media to express concern about the young TLC alum. 

Although it's no one's business as to what's going on with Collin (all children deserve privacy, even if they starred on TV once upon a time), it's understandable that people have questions. So, what's going on with Collin? Why doesn't Kate post about Collin on social media, and what do the seven other Gosselin kids think about the situation? Lastly, how does Jon play into all of this? Let's take a deep dive into the truth about Collin Gosselin's life. 

When Kate Gosselin revealed in August 2016 that she enrolled her son, Collin, in a live-in facility near the family's Pennsylvania home, many fans immediately asked why. 

"Collin has special needs," Kate told People. "[There's] a fairly fluid diagnosis of what those needs are, but he needs to learn certain strategies to help him deal with things. This has been a struggle we've had for a very long time, and it's one I've dealt with on my own. I've felt very alone in this. By the same token, it's not something that has only impacted me or him — our entire family has been impacted." 

When Kate was pressed further on what Collin's exact diagnosis is, she chose to remain quiet. Of course, people can't blame her for being tight-lipped on this issue -– Collin deserves privacy. The most important thing here is that Collin has a support team to address his needs, whatever they may be. 

It's no secret that Kate and Jon Gosselin have a tumultuous relationship, and things reached a fever pitch in November 2016, when Jon claimed Kate wouldn't tell him where Collin's treatment facility is located. "I have an idea where he is but I don't really know where he is," he told Entertainment Tonight. "I mean, I ask but she doesn't tell me. She doesn't answer any of my texts." 

Kate promptly responded to her ex's claims. "We are both court ordered not to speak about the care and custody of our children in detail," she told Good Morning America. "I've known all along where [Collin] is, but the world doesn't know, and I'll leave it at that." 

The back and forth didn't stop there. Following Kate's comments, Jon's lawyer at the time, Kristen Doleva-Lecher, declared that her client was upset because "the whole story is not being told," reported Us Weekly. As for what that "whole story" is, let's dig in and try to figure that out.

One of the darker claims about Kate Gosselin is that she allegedly abused Collin. Rumor has it Collin told an employee at his treatment facility that his mom had harmed him. "Collin said something to the facility's staff and it was reported to Children and Youth Services [CYS], which started an official probe," a source told Life & Style in 2016. Apparently, Jon Gosselin was also notified about the investigation, and the insider claimed that the dad of eight "worries everyday" for Collin's safety. The insider alleged that Kate routinely got physical with her kids. "Jon used to have to grab Kate by her wrist to stop her from beating Collin and some of the other kids with a wooden spoon," the source told the mag. 

As for Kate, she has always maintained that any abuse claims are false. "I'm in the public eye. I have been investigated many times ... It's always unfounded obviously," she told Good Morning America. 

You don't have to be a super fan of Kate Plus 8 to know that her home life is hectic. Unfortunately, Kate's busy life as a reality star doesn't always mesh with her kids needs —including Collin's. The good news: Kate is now reportedly keeping Collin away from Kate Plus 8 in order to keep his childhood as stress-free as possible. "Kate doesn't want Collin on camera very much because all the stimulation can be difficult for him," an insider claimed (via Hollywood Life). Another source confirmed Collin's reluctance to film, adding (via Hollywood Gossip): "Collin had such bad issues that he refused to get his picture taken at school. He's tired of being on-camera." 

It seems Kate's decision to keep Collin off of TV was for the best. "He's responding very well to one-on-one instruction," an insider claimed (via Hollywood Life). "He definitely finds it easier to function and cope better without all the chaos that his home life entails." That makes sense to us.

Kate has always been vocal about her struggle with Collin. In fact, she wrote an entire section on her difficulties with Collin in her 2010 memoir, I Just Want You to Know. In a passage dedicated to Collin, Kate says (via InTouch Weekly): "At two and a half, you began testing and trying my parenting at every chance. I called Daddy at work many days crying because you would not obey. I had to ask you every day, 'Who's in charge here: you or me?' You would reluctantly answer, 'You are.' As you have grown, this has not changed. You continue to be determined to do what you want to do, and I continue to try to rein you in." 

Sadly, a lot of fans believe this excerpt indicates that Kate is somehow biased toward Collin — a sentiment she has repeatedly denied throughout the years. 

Collin and his sister, Alexis, were supposedly expelled from school in November 2011, due to a variety of behavioral issues. The siblings allegedly cause physical injury to a teacher and didn't get along with other students. "They've fought with their peers, called them nasty names and made fun of other kids," a source told InTouch Weekly (via HuffPost). 

School administrators deduced the academic environment wasn't a good fit for Alexis and Collin and allegedly requested the children enroll in another program. "Both Alexis and Colin received three full weeks of intensive special treatment to focus their behavior," an insider claimed (via Radar Online). "The demand on the children's classroom teachers — and the impact on other kids — was just too great." 

Kate denied that anything was amiss, telling Entertainment Tonight (via ABC News) that two of her kids were "being tutored at home, with a teacher who is working closely with our kindergarten teachers in school, doing the identical curriculum. The pressure was getting to them." She added, "The goal is to get them back into school as soon as possible." 

It probably goes without saying that Collin's seven other siblings miss him terribly, despite the fact that their young lives continue to go on without him. These tough moments often occur during important milestones, such as the sextuplet's 13th birthday in May 2017. In an episode of Kate Plus 8 documenting the big celebration, Kate opens up about the family's pain (via E! Online): "It's a bittersweet moment [and] we've had many of them. You can't do anything without realizing he's missing. So we may not say it, but it's always there."

That wasn't the first time Kate opened up about the family missing Collin. "We miss him so much, so it's been hard because there is a huge hole in our family without him here," she told People in 2016. "But it comforts us to know he's where he needs to be right now, and I can feel good about that." 

Fans have pointed out that Kate rarely posts anything about Collin on social media. In fact, plenty of followers have expressed concern that Collin is seemingly left out of Instagram snaps marking fun occasions, such as Halloween or trips to the ice cream parlor. "So sad that Colin has been banished from the family," one fan commented on a Christmas pic featuring Aaden and Joel from December 2017. "How long does it take for Collin to get help," another follower quipped on the family's October 2017 Halloween photo. "You don't even mention him anymore." 

Of course, there are reasonable explanations for Collin's social media absence. It's possible his facility doesn't encourage home visits, which means less photo opportunities with the fam. Additionally, there's a good chance Kate is keeping Collin off social media for his own benefit. If you recall, he supposedly doesn't like cameras. Regardless, it's unlikely that suspicious fans will stop asking about Collin anytime soon.

Despite the fact that Jon and Kate divorced in December 2009, these two still can't seem to agree on how to parent their eight children, particularly Collin. Jon supposedly reached his breaking point in October 2017, when Kate shared a Halloween photo of the kids sans Collin. "The way Kate is handling things with Collin breaks Jon's heart but he has no say," a source told Hollywood Life. "She controls everything, it's her way or the highway when it comes to the kids, including Collin. When he saw that Kate left Collin out of Halloween, that his son was missing yet another family celebration Jon broke down and cried. He hates that she's doing this to Collin and feels so helpless to stop her..." 

To be fair, there are numerous reasons Kate might have excluded Collin from the family pic, and it's not fair to assume who's in the wrong here. Fans can only hope that Jon and Kate will resolve their longstanding issues soon.

It's no secret that many fans have expressed concern about Collin's whereabouts on social media. The kid hasn't appeared on his mom's social media accounts (we're not counting throwback pics) since he entered a treatment facility in August 2016. Although it's clear Kate prefers to keep Collin off social media, it seems Jon has no qualms about showcasing his relationship with his son on Instagram. 

In May 2018, Jon took to the 'gram to post a rare photo of Collin. "Glad I could celebrate my son Collin's 14th birthday with him and his sister," the proud papa captioned a snap of the happy trio enjoying pizza and cake. Needless to say, this rare Collin sighting riled fans into a frenzy. 

"Really cool! He looks just like his pop," one fan commented on the post. Another chimed in: "He looks good! Just beautiful!!!" Yep, lots of followers were stoked about Jon's post, but we can't help but wonder what Kate thought about it. Regardless, it's nice to see Collin enjoying quality time with his family.

As fans might have already noticed, Collin has missed a lot of special moments with his siblings. From holidays to the sextuplet's 13th birthday in May 2017 (Kate threw a big camping-themed bash,) it feels like Collin hasn't celebrated a milestone at home for quite some time. When will he rejoin the rest of his family at home? 

Kate isn't sure what the future holds. "I don't know what the road ahead entails, but I'm very happy with the care that he's getting, and am still completely comforted by the fact that he is so clearly exactly where he needs to be, getting precisely what he needs — it comforts me as a mother, because when you, as a mom, can't give your kids what they need, it is a huge comfort to find people who can," she told People. 

The good news: It sounds like Collin is thriving in his new environment. "He's where he needs to be right now, and I can feel good about that," Kate said.

When Kate Gosselin revealed in August 2016 that Collin has special needs, she didn't specify his diagnosis at the time. It should go without saying that she has the right to keep that information private, but that hasn't stopped fans from speculating about his condition over the years. In fact, the chatter about Collin's special needs reached a fever pitch when, in December 2018, Jon Gosselin claimed his son does not have special needs. The dad made the admission shortly after Collin left a treatment facility and went home to live with Jon. According to Us Weekly, Jon told a follower on Instagram that his son "is not on any spectrum or special needs." 

Kate hasn't acknowledged Jon's comments, but we wouldn't be surprised if she has some thoughts about her ex's words. Regardless, we wish the best for Collin, and we hope his parents are able to protect his privacy in the years to come.

Before Jon Gosselin obtained sole legal and physical custody of Collin Gosselin, he was involved in a nasty legal battle with Kate Gosselin. The back-and-forth became so contentious, in fact, that Jon's lawyer filed documents in October 2018 accusing Kate of being Collin's "trigger." In legal docs obtained by Radar Online, Jon's rep wrote: "It would not be in the best interests of the minor child ... to have independent time with mother or to have mother share legal custody of the minor child because mother has not cooperated with the child's treatment and is a 'trigger' for the minor child." 

We're not sure what Jon's lawyer meant when he claimed Kate didn't "cooperate" with Collin's treatment, but it's clear the parents still don't see eye to eye. At the end of the day, let's just hope Collin is happy and healthy.

When Kate Gosselin opened up about Collin's admission into a live-in facility, she didn't specify when he would be released. This question remained a mystery for years, until December 2018, when Jon Gosselin revealed that Collin was going to live with him. The ex-reality star filed for sole physical and legal custody of Collin, which he was awarded at a hearing that Kate reportedly did not attend. Jon said the outcome was for the best (via People): "It was just easier for the transition. So it'd be easier for one parent to just transition him home, and he wanted to live with me, so it was easier to do it that way." Sounds reasonable to us.

Since Collin has been home, he has been pictured enjoying various activities with his dad and his dad's girlfriend, Colleen Conrad. "Great weekend with Collin and Colleen, Philly Auto Show and The beach!!!!" Jon captioned a few sweet shots shared to Instagram in February 2019. Conrad also took Collin to see Avengers in May 2019, a special moment she commemorated with a joint selfie. Aww.