Collin Gosselin is reflecting on his time on reality show, Jon & Kate Plus 8, amid the release of his tell-all memoir.
Posting via his Instagram on Friday, October 16, Colin shared a clip of himself as a child looking sad in a scene from the show.
“If I could go back and talk to the kid I used to be, I’d tell him that we survived more than we ever should have had to, and one day, we’d find the strength to turn that pain into purpose,” Collin, 22, wrote in the caption.
He continued, “Sharing my story has meant facing parts of my past I spent years keeping to myself. It’s not easy to be vulnerable, but there’s something powerful about finally giving a voice to the things you once felt you had to keep silent.”
Collin went on to express gratitude towards those who have supported him after he told his side of the story in his book, In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood.
“I don’t think I’ll ever have the right words to thank everyone who has reached out, shown me love, or trusted me with a piece of their own story,” he wrote. “The kindness and support I’ve received have meant more than you’ll ever know. Thank you for making something so personal feel a little less heavy to carry. ❤️”
In Collin’s book, he details growing up with his seven siblings — twins Mady and Cara, now 26, and fellow sextuplets Joel, Aeden, Hannah, Alexis and Leah, now 22 — and the abuse he allegedly endured from his mother, Kate Gosselin.
Collin claimed that his mother Kate’s alleged physical and emotional abuse toward him intensified when he started to refuse filming the family’s hit TLC series, Jon & Kate Plus 8. (Kate has not publicly addressed Collin’s claims featured in his new book, and has long denied any allegations of abuse, neglect or wrongdoing.)
Kate and Jon Gosselin divorced in 2009 after a decade of marriage. Kate was granted primary custody of the pair’s eight children. Collin, for his part, was institutionalized at Fairmount Behavioral Health System in Philadelphia when he was 12 years old over alleged behavioral issues.
Jon ultimately sought custody of Collin and was also granted custody of daughter Hannah. The remaining siblings continued to live with Kate.
