Kate Gosselin's Estranged Son Collin's New TV Gig Is A Touchdown Against His Critics

Trigger warning: The following article contains discussion of child abuse.

Even if you're not familiar with "Jon & Kate Plus 8," you're almost certainly aware of the sheer amount of drama surrounding it. In addition to series stars Jon and Kate Gosselin's messy divorce, their son, Collin Gosselin, has levied some rather serious and disturbing allegations of physical and emotional abuse against his mother. However, while the former child star has his fair share of critics and detractors (Kate is chief among them), his latest professional move makes it clear that he's not about to let the naysayers get him down, and that Collin believes he's fully capable of carving out a successful television career independent of his family name.

On July 15, 2026, Collin's shocking return to the world of reality TV was confirmed when it was announced that he would be taking part in the fifth season of "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test," joining fellow celebrity contestants like Candace Cameron Bure and Ruby Rose. "The secret is out," Collin wrote on Instagram, adding, "This experience was so special to me, and I met some truly incredible people along the way." Collin's stepmother Stephanie Gosselin was among those to voice support in the comments section, writing, "I can't wait to watch this with dad!!"

Considering the fact that Kate herself competed in Season 1 of "Special Forces," and was eliminated after suffering an injury on the very first episode, all of this no doubt sends a clear message to her. News of Collin's involvement in the show also comes only about a month after he announced a tell-all memoir detailing his alleged childhood experiences, which Kate reportedly isn't too happy about.

In a September 2024 interview with The U.S. Sun, Collin Gosselin described his relationship with estranged mom Kate Gosselin as "very, very emotionally abusive." According to the former child star, there were multiple instances where his mother "zip-tied [his] hands and feet together" and locked him in a surveilled room. Collin doubled down on this claim in a 2026 interview with the same publication, during which he also suggested that the reason Kate sent him to a mental facility as a child was because he had become increasingly unwilling to participate in her reality show — especially following her divorce from his father, Jon Gosselin.

It's worth noting that Jon has corroborated his son's assertion that he was committed under false pretenses, as well as accusing Kate of intentionally isolating Collin Gosselin from his many siblings. "She, Kate, institutionalized him without a diagnosis, and then created a diagnosis," Jon confirmed on "The Dr. Oz Show" in 2019. "I pulled him out of the institution. He was wrongly institutionalized. [...] Just because he was a difficult child did not mean he needed to be sent away." Collin promises to delve into even more details in his aforementioned memoir, "In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood," which is due out in October 2026. 

The book's announcement reportedly blindsided his mother and sent her "spiraling." As an anonymous source disclosed to the Daily Mail, in June 2026, "Kate had no idea this book was in the works. [...] She didn't expect any of this to ever come out." 

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.