Collin Gosselin, one of the sextuplets made famous on TLC’s “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” is preparing to release a memoir that promises to detail years of alleged trauma, family secrets, and what he describes as forced participation in reality television as a child. The book, “In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood,” hits shelves Oct. 13.
According to a source who spoke to Page Six, Collin’s mother, Kate Gosselin, is anxious about what the book will reveal. “There is no doubt Kate is nervous this book is about to hit,” the source said. “Kate doesn’t want anyone in the family to talk about their past. She considers any of the children who talk in the family as traitors.”
The source added that Collin’s own public response earlier this month was accurate: “Collin couldn’t be more spot on when he says he isn’t the one who should be nervous about the book coming out.”
Collin, now 22, has been estranged from his mother since 2016, when he was sent, at age 11, to live in a behavioral health institution. Kate has previously said Collin was violent and unpredictable. Collin has disputed that account, presenting medical records he says show he was institutionalized not for behavioral problems but for refusing to keep appearing on the family’s TLC shows.
Three years after being sent away, Collin was reunited with his father, Jon Gosselin, who lost custody of all eight children when he and Kate divorced in 2009. Jon located Collin, removed him from the facility, and was later granted legal and physical custody. Jon also gained custody of Collin’s sister Hannah after she left Kate’s home. The remaining sextuplets — Joel, Alexis, Leah, and Aaden — along with older twins Mady and Cara, 25, continue to live with Kate and remain estranged from their father.
The memoir is expected to address subjects Kate reportedly told the family never to discuss publicly, including her relationship with Steve Neild, her former bodyguard turned boyfriend, whom the children lived with growing up after Jon left. Page Six first reported the relationship in September 2025.
“When Kate realized the information that she was still living with Steve was going to be revealed in the book, she wanted control and finally released the secret she’s been keeping for years. This book is going to reveal the truth and people will finally see the real Kate Gosselin, and it’s not pretty.”
Collin, who says he graduated with honors under his father’s guidance, has described the writing process as an act of recovery from his childhood in front of the cameras.
“Writing this was like therapy for me. It was insanely healing. Just to be able to look at a picture of myself and be like, that’s who I’m doing it for and then think about all the millions of children who go through what I went through, being thrown into the industry against their will. That’s what you can expect in this.”
He added: “There’s a big voice in my story that will never die. This book is going to expose a lot, and there’s going to be a big message coming from it, and I hope you’re ready.”
A representative for Kate Gosselin did not respond to a request for comment. Collin currently appears on season 5 of Fox’s “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” which premiered Sept. 24.
The case has drawn renewed attention to the exploitation of children on reality television and the lack of legal protections for young performers whose images and lives were monetized without their consent.
