Here's What Mady Gosselin Has Said About Her Relationship With Estranged Brother Collin
The Gosselins of "Jon and Kate Plus 8" and later "Kate Plus 8" are in the news once again, and this time it surrounds Collin Gosselin, one of the sextuplets of the family who's now 19 years old. The news of the family's fall from their idyllic life didn't happen overnight but rather over the years as viewers watched the fiery moments between Jon and Kate Gosselin intensify. Followers of the show everywhere became captivated by their maybe not-so-shocking divorce in 2009. They witnessed its drastic effect on the family unit, specifically on their eight children.
Fast forward to 2023, and more insight is shed upon the dramatic childhood of these kids who were forced into the spotlight from birth, bringing the truth about "Jon and Kate Plus 8" into focus. Both Collin and Hannah Gosselin have made new childhood claims about Kate. Collin courageously spoke to E! News about the trauma he experienced from his mother, Kate, which has led him to cut ties with his mother and most of his siblings. Collin only remains in contact with his father, Jon, and Hannah, who also lives with Jon after he won a custody battle against his ex-wife.
Collin has separated himself from the rest of his family, but a recent TikTok video shows that he may not be the only one who made that decision.
Mady's current relationship with Collin
In a recent TikTok by Mady Gosselin, one of Collin Gosselin's older twin sisters, she reacts to comments and questions from followers about their current family dynamic. Mady tells viewers that although Hannah lives with Jon and Collin, she stays in touch with her every day because they are sisters. However, when discussing Collin, she makes it clear that she has chosen to separate herself from him due to differing values. She speaks of the difficulties of cutting ties with family members but explains that you don't always have to like your family.
Mady, sick of the hateful comments, also defended her family after Collin spoke to news outlets about what he experienced and his thoughts about the show, and how it negatively affected his family, saying to her followers in another video: "The rhetoric in so many of my comments about childhood trauma and healing and whatever you want to say about my family, my life, my parents, whatever is not your business." She then explains the damage of this child star stereotype stating, "Perpetuating the narrative that we are damaged or that we are crazy child stars or whatever you want to say is extremely harmful as myself and my siblings are going out into the world and will be functioning members of society with careers."
What happened with Collin?
According to Collin Gosselin's side of the story, the hit television show on TLC tore the family apart. At the age of 12, Kate sent Collin to a special school for children with behavioral issues without telling the family — including Jon — though Collin had reportedly only been diagnosed with ADHD. He remained there for three years, separated from his entire family, until Jon won full custody of him. According to Fox News, Jon paid one million dollars to get Collin released after the boy wrote a note to Jon begging him to get him out of there. Jon also gained custody of Hannah Gosselin after she confessed that living with her mother, Kate, was uncomfortable.
Collin also explained the emotional abuse he suffered as a child in an interview with VICE TV, "I know my mother was going through a lot of things. I mean, a divorce and plenty of different things that can't be easy to go through. And, you know, I want to think that she needed someone to take out her anger and frustration on, and it was just kind of me. I was in the way, and I was there. So, she chose me."
Hannah spoke with Today about what she remembered from their childhood, stating, "He would be separated from us," she recalls. "Like, he would not get to come and play outside with us. He would eat dinner at different times than us," making it clear that the divide started long before the custody battle.