‘Jon & Kate’ star Collin Gosselin claims mother zip-tied and locked him in basement room as a child
Collin Gosselin has alleged that his mother, Kate Gosselin, abused and isolated him during his childhood, including tying him up and locking him in a basement room. The claims matter because they add to years of public dispute over the family’s reality television upbringing and are expected to feature in Collin’s memoir.
In an interview, Collin said a teacher noticed his swollen earlobe after he was allegedly dragged by it, and that he later spoke to a guidance counsellor. He said he was removed from school in fourth grade, placed in an institution shortly before turning 12, and given diagnoses that he says an independent evaluation did not support. Kate’s representatives were contacted for comment.
- Collin Gosselin alleges abuse and isolation by his mother.
- He says he was tied up and locked in a basement room.
- Kate’s representatives were contacted for comment.
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Jon and Kate Gosselin became widely known through the reality series Jon & Kate Plus 8, which followed their lives raising eight children, including twins and sextuplets. The programme made the children’s upbringing a subject of public attention, while their parents’ separation and later disagreements also drew coverage.
Collin Gosselin is one of the couple’s children, and his account concerns how he says he was treated at home and what happened around his schooling and care. His claims sit within a longer family dispute that has played out in public; Kate Gosselin’s representatives were contacted for comment.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
If Collin’s account is accurate, tying him up, confining him and isolating him from school would be serious abuse, and his account of a teacher and counsellor noticing concerns deserves careful attention. His experiences also raise questions about how children in reality television families are protected and whether adults and institutions responded adequately.
The case against
The allegations are serious, but the information reported here presents Collin’s account without independent findings establishing what happened or why particular decisions were made. Kate and other involved adults should have a fair opportunity to respond, and claims about diagnoses, treatment and family events should be assessed against records and other evidence before conclusions are drawn.