Jon Gosselin’s ex Colleen Conrad continues to show her support for Collin Gosselin after the release of his shocking memoir.
“I’ve recently become aware of several deeply concerning statements Kate has made about Collin, and I believe it is important to address them thoughtfully and factually,” Conrad wrote via Instagram on Monday, October 26. “I am a psychiatric nurse practitioner with more than 35 years of experience in healthcare. My professional background has given me extensive experience with psychiatric diagnoses, symptoms and medications, and this is an area I take very seriously.”
Conrad continued, “When Collin came to live with us, I did not observe the symptoms or behaviors I would have expected based on some of the diagnoses he had received, nor did I observe the behaviors that have since been publicly described. In consultation with his treating physician, we gradually discontinued his medications under medical supervision.”
Jon’s ex reminded her followers that mental health conditions are “real, complex and deserving of compassion and understanding.”
“However, they should never be used to dismiss another person’s lived experience or deflect legitimate questions about the past,” she continued. “I believe these issues deserve to be addressed with honesty, responsibility and respect for the people involved.”
In Collin’s new book, Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood, the former Jon & Kate Plus 8 star makes several allegations against his mom, Kate Gosselin, as he recalls his traumatic childhood growing up on reality TV.
Collin, 22, detailed his experience as an institutionalized pre-teen after his parents’ 2009 divorce. The Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test contestant claims Kate, 51, sent him to a behavioral health institution in 2016 for what she described as alleged “unpredictable and violent behavior.”
Kate’s eldest son spent two years at the institution and a different residential facility before he moved in with Jon, 49.
In several TikTok comments, Kate responded to fans with questions or concerns about Collin’s claims. In one response, Kate denied Collin’s allegation that she only visited him once during his time at the mental health institution.
“I visited EVERY single time the facility felt he was stable enough for a visit,” she claimed. “Sometimes, a visit was planned but the facility canceled it because he was too unstable and it would have to be rescheduled.”
Another user commented, “If he killed animals / threatened with a weapon — it would be in the intake transcripts of the hospital she left him in….it wasn’t.” A follower replied, commenting, “I work in a facility and just because they are violent doesn’t mean they are that way as adults. I wish she would reach out to him and get to know him NOW as an adult.”
Kate replied, “And that may be the case for some but you don’t know anything about what his behavior has been like in recent years (I do) because he is choosing not to tell you that part.”
As fans continue to read Shadow of Eight, Collin’s rep Adriane Schwartz is responding to some of Kate’s social media claims.
“It is disturbing that Kate continues to make false accusations and publicly attack her own child despite multiple professional psychological evaluations contradicting her claims,” Schwartz said in a statement to Us on Monday. “Let us be absolutely clear: Collin has never used a weapon to harm a family member, nor has he ever harmed or killed an animal in his lifetime. These allegations are categorically false.”
The statement continued, “To publicly accuse your innocent child of such heinous acts to protect your reputation is beyond reprehensible. Collin has shown extraordinary courage in telling his story, and he will not be intimidated or silenced by these damaging accusations.”
