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On the outs. Kate Gosselin and her son Collin have been through their fair share of ups and downs over the years.
The Kate Plus Date star welcomed Collin and his sextuplet siblings — Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Leah and Joel — in 2004 with her now-ex-husband, Jon Gosselin. The little ones joined twins Madelyn and Cara, who arrived four years earlier.
The reality stars, who tied the knot in 1999, called it quits a decade after their nuptials and began battling for custody of their children.
“Parents of multiples have triple the divorce rate,” Kate said during a May 2009 episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8. “I was thinking we were going to beat that. I don’t know if I can say that anymore.”
While the former couple were granted shared physical custody of their kids, Jon revealed in 2016 that he hadn’t seen all eight of his kids together in three years. “I only get what I get,” the DJ told Steve Harvey at the time. “Most of the time, I get four.”
He went on to tell Entertainment Tonight that same year: “[The twins] stopped coming [at 12 or 13]. I was just like, ‘Hey, do what you want, be with your friends’ and then it just became, ‘They’re not coming.’ Then I had six [kids]. I was just focusing on the ones that did come and then a couple years went by and then Collin stopped coming. I thought, maybe he just wants to do stuff with Mommy or whatever, and then it became long-term.”
The prep cook later found out that Collin was receiving treatment for behavioral issues. In 2018, Jon had the teenager removed from the Fairmont Behavioral Health Institute. Collin and his sister Hannah now live with their dad.
“Happy Birthday dad!!!!” Collin wrote via Instagram in April 2020, less than one week after Kate’s birthday. “To the coolest most amazing dad, and the one who’s always there for me, the one who’s always had my back, thank you so much and have a great one!!!”
In November 2022, Collin addressed his public ups and downs with his mother. “I came to the conclusion that everybody has their own agenda, you know?” he told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “My mom had her own agenda, and I don’t know exactly what that was. But I was put in a tough spot and my agenda was to make it out on top of that tough spot.”
Keep scrolling for a closer look at Kate and Collin’s relationship over the years, from handwritten letters to shady Mother’s Day messages:
Credit: Shutterstock; Courtesy Jon Gosselin/Instagram
Everything We Know About Kate Gosselin’s Relationship With Son Collin
On the outs. Kate Gosselin and her son Collin have been through their fair share of ups and downs over the years.
The Kate Plus Date star welcomed Collin and his sextuplet siblings — Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Leah and Joel — in 2004 with her now-ex-husband, Jon Gosselin. The little ones joined twins Madelyn and Cara, who arrived four years earlier.
The reality stars, who tied the knot in 1999, called it quits a decade after their nuptials and began battling for custody of their children.
“Parents of multiples have triple the divorce rate,” Kate said during a May 2009 episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8. “I was thinking we were going to beat that. I don’t know if I can say that anymore.”
While the former couple were granted shared physical custody of their kids, Jon revealed in 2016 that he hadn’t seen all eight of his kids together in three years. “I only get what I get,” the DJ told Steve Harvey at the time. “Most of the time, I get four.”
He went on to tell Entertainment Tonight that same year: “[The twins] stopped coming [at 12 or 13]. I was just like, ‘Hey, do what you want, be with your friends’ and then it just became, ‘They’re not coming.’ Then I had six [kids]. I was just focusing on the ones that did come and then a couple years went by and then Collin stopped coming. I thought, maybe he just wants to do stuff with Mommy or whatever, and then it became long-term.”
The prep cook later found out that Collin was receiving treatment for behavioral issues. In 2018, Jon had the teenager removed from the Fairmont Behavioral Health Institute. Collin and his sister Hannah now live with their dad.
“Happy Birthday dad!!!!” Collin wrote via Instagram in April 2020, less than one week after Kate’s birthday. “To the coolest most amazing dad, and the one who’s always there for me, the one who’s always had my back, thank you so much and have a great one!!!”
In November 2022, Collin addressed his public ups and downs with his mother. “I came to the conclusion that everybody has their own agenda, you know?” he told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “My mom had her own agenda, and I don’t know exactly what that was. But I was put in a tough spot and my agenda was to make it out on top of that tough spot.”
Keep scrolling for a closer look at Kate and Collin’s relationship over the years, from handwritten letters to shady Mother’s Day messages:
Credit: Courtesy Jon Gosselin/Instagram
November 2016
When Kate revealed her son was in a special needs institution, her ex’s lawyer told Us, “The whole story is not being told.”
Credit: Courtesy Jon Gosselin/Instagram
November 2018
Jon and Hannah visited Collin at the Fairmont Behavioral Health Institute, the same month that the DJ filed for full physical and legal custody of his son.
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
December 2018
Jon was granted sole physical and legal custody when Kate did not show up to court. The Eight Little Faces author had asked a day earlier for the court date to be postponed, but her request was denied.
Credit: Courtesy Jon Gosselin/Instagram
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February 2020
“Kate has no contact with [Collin],” Jon revealed in a “First Class Fatherhood” podcast episode. “Right now, it’s very tumultuous pretty much because there’s no contact between Collin and his other siblings. There’s contact between Hannah and the other siblings, [but not with Collin]. We have parent alienation and sibling alienation.”
Credit: Courtesy Jon Gosselin/Instagram
September 2019
Collin’s dad opened up to DailyMailTV about the teen being “caged” in the treatment center for three “inhumane” years.
Jon shared an alleged letter his son had written him. “Dear Dad, I’m not trying to trick you, but I still love you,” the note read. “I told Mom I want to live with you, she said no. But right? She can’t choose for me. I’m old enough now, I’m YOUR son, not hers. She was abusive to me after I left your house. I’m sorry. Take this to court because … you’re my dad, my savior. … Please help me and let me meet Colleen [Conrad, Jon’s girlfriend]. I’m counting on you to get me out of here. Daddy, I love you. save me. Please come FAST. I love you. Help me. BYE.”
Credit: Shutterstock; Courtesy Jon Gosselin/Instagram
May 2020
Collin appeared to shade his mom by writing a Mother’s Day message to only Conrad via Instagram. “Turns out today is Mother’s Day, today we pay love forward to our mothers, but I don’t think mother can describe all the things Colleen has done for me,” he wrote. “Yes a mother clothes her children and cooks for them but it’s the best feeling when your mother or mother figure is one of your best friends and always has your back, the one who always shares that laugh of the humor only you guys get.”
The teenager added, “I could call it Mother’s Day, but it’s more than that, Colleen, you are so much more than a mother to me, you are one of my guidelines and one of my guiding lights. Thank you doesn’t say enough, I love you so much and you’ve done so much for me that claims you my strong, happy, loving and awesome mother figure, you’re irreplaceable. Thank you so much Colleen love you so much!!!”
Credit: Shutterstock; Courtesy Jon Gosselin/Instagram
May 2020
Kate penned a social media tribute to her sextuplets that same day, captioning her Instagram post: “Happy 16th Birthday to my half a dozen ‘Hershey Kisses’, as they were called at birth! I love you so much! You’re 6 of the sweetest things to happen to my life!”
Credit: Courtesy Collin Gosselin/Instagram
September 2020
Kate stepped in when Collin accused Jon of abuse in a since-deleted Instagram post in September 2020. “You do not punch and kick your children,” she told People magazine at the time. “You do not kick a child. I don’t want to hear any excuses from anyone, not from his father, not from local law enforcement, not from court personnel whose job is supposedly to ensure the best interests of my children. There is a child abuse law, PA 23, section 8i states that doing any of the following, regardless of whether it causes injury, is child abuse, and first on that list is kicking. Period.”
The Berks County Children & Youth Services subsequently launched an investigation into Jon. District Attorney John Adams told Us at the time that no charges had been filed against Jon.
Credit: Courtesy of Jon Gosselin/Instagram ; Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
November 2022
During a rare interview, Collin discussed how his time at Fairmont Behavioral Health Institute ended his bond with his mother. “After being there, I didn’t have a relationship with her,” he recalled to Entertainment Tonight. “Even before [being] there, I don’t think we had much of a relationship and I think that just kept tearing it even more down.”
At the time, Collin didn’t rule out a potential reconciliation, adding, “It’s unfortunate that we didn’t have a relationship. I think every son wants to have a relationship with their mom. But I’m doing very well.”
