Jon and Kate Gosselin are in the news again following an emotional interview and new update from their son, Collin Gosselin. The 18-year-old, who was one of the sextuplets featured alongside their older twin sisters in the reality show Jon & Kate Plus 8, recently revealed that he hasn’t seen or spoken to most of his siblings in quite a few years. With that information out there, Gosselin hoped to share a message with his brothers and sisters and also inform the world where things stand.
Collin Gosselin spoke to Entertainment Tonight with an update on what was happening in his life in 2016 when his mother Kate Gosselin said he’d been sent away for a program to cope with alleged behavioral issues. Collin was later removed from an institution by his father Jon and moved in with him alongside his sister Hannah. Collin Gosselin revealed that he hasn’t spoken to many of his siblings since around the time he was sent away, but hoped to someday:
I have not spoken with my siblings in probably five or six years now. It's tough. . . . I would love for us to come together one day, have dinner together, talk, just have a relationship and catch up on the things that we lost, the time that we lost.
As for his relationship with his mother, Kate Gosselin, Collin Gosselin said their relationship ended years ago. The former Jon & Kate Plus 8 star added that he felt they may not have really had much of a relationship before that and whatever they had only deteriorated further in the time leading up to when he was sent away.
While Kate Gosselin doesn’t seem to have a relationship with her son Collin, she did speak out on his behalf in 2020 when reports came out suggesting Jon Gosselin and Collin were in a physical altercation. She advocated that her ex-husband be kept away from all of her children after the reported incident, though no official charges were filed.
While Collin Gosselin wants to try and reconnect with his estranged siblings, he hasn’t made the first move. Gosselin explained why he hasn’t reached out and his reasoning for letting his siblings come to him on their own time:
I haven't reached out to them, they haven't reached out to me. I want to respect their space and their time and respect how they feel about everything, so I'm kind of just waiting for the day that they reach out. I don't want to reach out. I don't want to invade their space. I'd rather just let them do it on their own terms.
While he’s willing to be patient and give his siblings time, Collin Gosselin got emotional speaking about his vision for the future. He went on to express his hope that, in the event that he has children, his children will know their aunts and uncles.
While Collin Gosselin remains estranged from a bulk of his siblings, he does have a good relationship with his sister and fellow sextuplet Hannah. Hannah chose to live with their father Jon Gosselin and stated in previous interviews with Entertainment Tonight it was because she felt a closer bond with her father than her mother.
The situation between Jon and Kate Gosselin and their children is tense and complicated, and has unfortunately played out in headlines for the public to see over the years. The former couple’s twin daughters Mady and Cara spoke publicly about not wanting to see Jon in 2016, which Jon then revealed he was very upset about. Clearly, this is a big issue with many sides and perspectives to the story, which may explain why Collin Gosselin would sooner be patient and wait for any of his estranged siblings to reach out to him first.
Collin Gosselin mentioned in the interview that he believes the reality television show tore their family apart, and it’s easy to see the link given the drama other reality stars have gone through. There’s bad blood between reality families in shows like Little People Big World, as well as Welcome To Plathville. Whether that’s due to regular family stress or the added stress of reality television is impossible to say, but these stars might know better than most.
The Gosselins likely won’t reunite on television anytime soon, but that’s completely fine because the 2023 television schedule is packed with exciting new shows. There’s also a decent amount of reality television, for those who just can’t avoid the drama.
