NEWSCollin Gosselin Wrote Secret Note to Dad Jon Begging Him for Help Escaping Institution Amid Mom Kate's Alleged Abuse: 'Take This to Court'
Collin Gosselin claimed his father, Jon Gosselin, had no idea where he was until he received the secret note.
Oct. 23 2026, Published 1:51 p.m. ET
Collin Gosselin claimed that a secret note to his father, Jon Gosselin, led to his release after spending two years at a psychiatric facility.
"I poured my heart into that letter, it was my beacon of hope," Collin, 22, said on The View on Thursday, October 22. "It was the only way I had out of there."
Collin Gosselin spoke about the abuse he allegedly endured while appearing on 'The View.'
Collin Gosselin Claimed He Was Sent Away at 11 After Runaway Attempt
Jon Gosselin and Kate Gosselin were married from 1999 to 2009.
Collin rose to fame as one of Jon, 49, and his then-wife Kate Gosselin's eight kids on the TLC series Jon & Kate Plus 8.
After the couple's 2009 divorce, Kate, 51, was granted primary custody of their eight children, and the show rebranded to Kate Plus 8.
Collin claimed that he was sent to a psychiatrist and behavioral institution at 11 after trying to run away from home. He alleged tensions with his mother began after he was the only sibling to push back against filming the family's reality TV show.
Collin Gosselin Claimed His Father Didn't Know Where He Was
Collin Gosselin arranged for a roommate who was being released to secretly deliver the letter to Jon Gosselin.
Collin claimed Jon had no idea where he was for those two years until he managed to send him a secret letter through a roommate who was being released.
"Dear Dad. I'm not trying to trick you, but I still love you," Collin wrote in a letter that was shown on screen. "I told mom [that] I want to live with you. She said, 'No.' But 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."
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'I'm Not Trying to Trick You'
Following Jon Gosselin and Kate Gosselin's 2009 divorce, Kate was granted primary custody of their eight children.
"So that line where I say, 'I'm not trying to trick you,' I meant that. I wrote that letter knowing that I was afraid that my father wouldn’t believe anything I was telling him," Collin explained during the daytime show. "My mom told me my entire childhood that no one would believe me if I ever told them anything."
After Jon received the letter, Collin was released from the institution to his father.
Kate Gosselin Seemingly Broke Her Silence on Collin Gosselin's New Memoir Detailing Alleged Abuse
Kate Gosselin appeared to break her silence on Collin Gosselin's recent accusations on October 10.
Collin goes into details about the alleged abuse he endured during his childhood in his memoir, Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood, which hit bookshelves on October 13.
The mother-of-eight appeared to break her silence on the subject after posting a TikTok about her dog on October 10, which sparked an influx of comments about Collin's book.
"I'm so frustrated that my FYP is being flooded with such terrible lies. It should be illegal to defame someone that way," one fan wrote.
Kate appeared to agree, directly responding by writing, "Thank you so much. I know rational people or anyone who has dealt with mental illness understands what's going on here :)."
