As the Jon & Kate Plus 8 alum prepares for the release of his upcoming memoir Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood—detailing his difficult relationship with mom Kate Gosselin and his time filming the TV show—he shared a message to his younger self. 

"Dear little me," Collin began in his July 29 Instagram post, "You won't always carry this alone.

One day, you'll turn your pain into purpose, your silence into a voice, and your story into hope for other children. You will be the reason someone else speaks up." 

The 22-year-old concluded his reflection with support, writing to himself, "I'm so proud of you."

Collin—one of Kate and ex-husband Jon Gosselin's sextuplets—shared a black-and-white photo of himself as a child in laser tag gear.

The former reality star decided to document his experience in his memoir, out in October, nearly a decade after Jon & Kate Plus 8 and its sequel follow-up Kate Plus 8 concluded.

"My life was always broadcast to millions, but what was actually happening in my life was never shown—in fact, much of it was deliberately kept hidden," he told Us Weekly in a June statement. "For years, other people told my story through headlines, television episodes and public speculation." 

The project gave Collin—whose siblings include fellow sextuplets Leah, Alexis, Joel, Hannah and Aaden as well as 25-year-old twins Cara Gosselin and Mady—an outlet to share more about his childhood than he ever expected.

"The book is about truth, survival, resilience and finding my voice after years of being silenced," he continued. "If my story helps even one person feel less alone or gives them the courage to tell their own, then every difficult page was worth writing."

And Kate—who has not formally addressed her son's forthcoming memoir—is expected to be a major part of Collin's story, with him also recently detailing alleged abuse from his mom.

"Never forget that my mom would write in her diary how she had to 'pray to God to stop hitting me,'" Collin wrote in a June 30 Instagram Story. “(This was while I was 2 years old by the way.)”

He noted that he felt compelled to highlight those alleged experiences, adding, "This is why using my voice to put these things in the light is so important."

Meanwhile, the matriarch shut down the allegations, with the 51-year-old confirming that she had blocked comments about it on her own social media.

"This page is about my real life," Kate wrote in the comments section a June TikTok, "and it's all about kindness, love, honesty and definitely not for made up accusation discussion!" 

For a look at the entire Gosselin family's evolution over the years, keep reading


Sextuplets Hannah, Collin, Alexis, Aaden, Leah and Joel turned 21 on May 10, 2025, and Kate shared pics from the latter four's birthday celebration.

Alexis and Leah toast to 21 in another scene from the celebration.

Hannah celebrated her birthday with her dad and his fiancée Stephanie Lebo.

On Mother's Day 2024, two days after the former couple's sextuplets turned 20, Kate shared a tribute the four who lived with her: Alexis, Aaden, Joel and Leah.

"No more teenagers in this house! Happy 20th birthday, my forever babies! I love you!" she wrote on Instagram. "Who feels old? I know I do! #20yearsold #ItsaPICKLE."

Hannah shared new pics of herself on her and the other sextuplet's 20th birthday.

On to the next chapter! The sextuplet graduated from high school in 2023.

Jon shared a pic of sextuplets Collin and Hannah graduating from high school in 2023, years after they had moved in with him.

Kate appeared with twin Mady and Cara in New York City in this 2019 pic.

"Happy 18th birthday!" Jon wrote on Instagram in 2022. "Today is your birthday we gonna say it loud. I love you. Love, Dad."

"Our big celebration of #15 is finally winding down here! We celebrated ALL DAY LONG, beginning with a present at 6:30 am before school! I'm so very thankful for my ‘babies'.... somehow they are 15 already?!" Kate wrote on the special milestone in 2019. "I'm amazed by them each day! I'm so proud of the positive qualities I've seen developing as they edge closer to adulthood." 

"This was yesterday! Feels like school never ended...and they're already back! #SeniorYear #EighthGrade #ProudMom," Kate wrote on Instagram in 2018.

"Happy 15th Birthday Hannah, Collin, Alexis, Aaden, Joel and Leah!!!! Wow I can't believe you are 15!!! Time is flying by!!!" Jon Gosselin shared on Instagram when posing with Hannah and Collin Gosselin. "I love you all very much. I wish you the best day ever and I hope you enjoy your birthday celebrations today and this weekend!!! Love always, Dad." 

"My beautiful 'little girls' .... they keep reminding me how many days until they turn 14. Today it was '12 days til we turn 14, Mom.' HOW'S THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?!" Kate shared with her followers in 2018. "I told Leah that she's too small to turn 14. She said 'Yeah, true. Are you sure I'm not turning 11 or 12?' I'm positive. I gave birth to you. They'll always be my babies....I love them so very much!" 

"I can't believe they're 13!" Kate Gosselin wrote on Instagram when celebrating a major birthday for her sextuplets. 

Rewind to 2014 when Kate and her children found themselves visiting Alaska. 

Kate also treated her twin daughters Cara Gosselin and Mady Gosselin to a trip to New York City in 2014, where they stopped by the Manhattan Hotel. 

"A precious Christmas memory. My 6 were 6. Christmas Eve 2010 and they're SO excited for Christmas!" Kate Gosselin wrote on Instagram with a throwback photo. "Look at those adorable smiles! #TheyAreMyHeart #My8ReasonsToKeepOnKeepingOn #NoMatterWhat #TrueLoveX8." 

Back in October 2007, Jon and Kate Gosselin gathered their eight kids together for a trip to New York City. First stop? A visit to NBC's Today show.Â