Jon Gosselin’s wife, Stephanie Lebo, is proudly supporting his son Collin Gosselin in the wake of his bestselling tell-all memoir, In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood.
“Collin’s book has remained #1 in The New York Times Best Seller list for the second week in a row,” Lebo, 39, wrote via Instagram on Friday, October 30, alongside a professional photo of Collin holding a copy of his book.
“Collin, you are changing the world, and I hope you truly understand that,” Lebo continued. “You’ve turned some of the darkest chapters of your life into something that will help others. You spent so many years fighting to be heard, and now the world is listening.”
She added, “You are kind, intelligent, strong, and so incredibly loved. You are SEEN. You are HEARD. And most importantly, you have nothing to prove to anyone. You never had to earn love, kindness, or a place to belong. You deserved them all along.”
In his bestselling memoir, Collin, 22, details his experience growing up on reality TV through Jon & Kate Plus 8, which aired from 2007 to 2017. The TLC show documented Kate and Jon’s lives as they raised their eight kids, including Collin and his sextuplet siblings Hannah, Aaden, Joel, Leah and Alexis, alongside older twin sisters, Mady and Cara, 26.
Collin alleged in the book that Kate, 51, was physically and emotionally abusive before he was able to live with his dad. Kate has repeatedly denied the allegations.
On Friday, in celebration of his book’s success, Collin thanked his many supporters before going on to address his mother directly.
“To everyone who has shown me love, believed in me, and supported my journey, thank you. You remind me every day that there is so much more love in this world than cruelty,” he wrote. “To my mother, who continues to spread lies in an attempt to conceal her abuse and break my spirit, it’s not working.”
He then vowed to continue speaking out about his childhood experience despite the hardship associated with telling his truth.
“My determination to speak out for survivors will always be stronger than your attempts to silence me. You will never stop my mission to protect and advocate for other victims of abuse,” he said.
Lebo, who married Jon in November 2025, seemingly alluded to Kate’s response to Collin’s memoir in her own Friday post, though she did not name her husband’s ex directly.
“Never let anyone’s negativity overshadow how far you’ve come or the difference you’re making,” she wrote. “You have an entire village behind you, and I am beyond honored to be part of it. Keep shining, Collin. The world is listening, and I couldn’t be prouder of you! I love you… WE ALL love you.”
