Collin Gosselin, the 22-year-old son of former reality television stars Jon and Kate Gosselin, has announced that he is releasing a memoir titled “In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood.”
Instagram/@collingosselin1
The book is scheduled for release on Oct. 13.
In an Instagram post shared on Wednesday, Collin explained why he has chosen to publicly share his story after years of remaining largely silent about his experiences.
“This is not a story for entertainment,” he wrote. “It is a story to instill responsibility in everyone to advocate and speak up against abuse, injustice, and the exploitation of children. I not only poured my heart into this book for my younger self, but for ALL who have faced unfair and outright heinous acts as children.”
Collin first rose to fame as one of the sextuplets featured on the hit TLC reality series “Jon & Kate Plus 8.” Reflecting on his decision to write the memoir, he said there were several reasons he kept much of his story private for so long.
“Growing up, millions of people watched my life on television. People felt like they knew me. They knew my family. They watched me grow up. But there was so much they never saw,” he wrote.
“For years, I kept those experiences to myself. Some because I was afraid. Some because I didn’t think anyone would believe me. And some because I just wasn’t ready.
“Writing this book forced me to revisit some of the hardest moments of my life, but it also gave me something I’ve been searching for for a long time: my voice.”
Collin is one of Jon and Kate Gosselin’s eight children. The former couple share twins Cara and Mady, 25, as well as sextuplets Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Leah, Joel and Collin, all 22.
After Jon and Kate’s divorce in 2009, Kate was awarded custody of the couple’s children. In 2016, she enrolled Collin in a behavioral health institution, citing what she described at the time as “unpredictable and violent behavior.”
In 2018, Collin left the program and moved in with his father after Jon was granted custody. He later graduated from high school in 2023 alongside his sister Hannah.
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