What Went Wrong? Kate Gosselin’s Strained Relationship With Collin Explained

December 2009

Following Kate and Jon’s divorce, the mother of eight was granted full legal custody of all of her children, including Collin. The following year, there were several reports Collin and his siblings were expelled from school.

August 2016

In 2015, Kate revealed Collin “has some educational and social challenges,” on her TLC show, “This is a work in progress for him that we’ve sought many specialists help on,” she added. “There are changes coming for him. I think it will result in a change of school for him for this upcoming year and beyond that, we’ll see.”

The following year, Kate shared she had sent her son away to a school for children with special needs. “[There’s] a fairly fluid diagnosis of what those needs are, but he needs to learn certain strategies to help him deal with things,” she told People about her decision to send him away. “This has been a struggle we’ve had for a very long time, and it’s one I’ve dealt with on my own. I’ve felt very alone in this. By the same token, it’s not something that has only impacted me or him — our entire family has been impacted.”

July 2017

After sending Collin away, he started missing several special occasions with his family, even the sextuplets’ 13th birthday. Kate called their celebration “bittersweet” without her eighth child during an episode of the show. “This year [was] much like last year. Obviously, the difference is that Collin wasn’t there,” she said. “I am comforted with the fact that my kids, all of them, each unique child, is receiving exactly what they need and that hasn’t changed. I’ve said that before, I’ll say it again. It’s a bittersweet moment — we’ve had many of them.”

In addition to his birthday, Collin was also left out of his family’s Halloween and Christmas festivities, irking his father. “I have an idea of where he is, but I don’t know exactly where he is … I mean, I ask but she doesn’t tell me,” Jon reportedly said at the time. “[Kate] doesn’t answer any of my texts.”

May 2018

Following two years of being off the grid, Jon posted the first photo of Collin since being sent away in honor of his 14th birthday. “Glad I could celebrate my son Collin’s 14th birthday with him and his sister!” the father wrote on Instagram at the time.

In October 2018, Jon filed for full legal and physical custody of his son soon after he was granted custody of daughter Hannah. In December, Jon was awarded temporary custody Collin after Kate failed to show up to their hearing. Soon after, Collin officially moved in with his father and out of the special needs facility.

After spending the holidays with Collin, the father revealed in his Instagram comments the teen is “not on any spectrum or [has] special needs.” Later in February 2019, he told fans Kate had spent “ZERO” time with her son since his return.

August 2019

In August 2019, Collin joined his sister Hannah at their local public school and Jon was excited to celebrate the momentous occasion with his fans. Despite the big milestone, “Kate has made no attempt to see or speak with Collin,” a source told Radar Online at the time.

In Jon’s first public interview since gaining custody of Collin, he said Collin only has ADHD and “has never been diagnosed with any known medical condition,” he told the Daily Mail. “I know my children have suffered abuse and I know one day they’re going to tell their own story.”

Additionally, Jon told the outlet he was unaware Collin was sent away until acter the fact. He also shared several letters from his son begging his father to come get him. “I’m counting on you to get me out of here … Please come FAST. I love you, help me, BYE,” one of Collin’s “50 to 60” letters read. During his three years away, Jon said Kate only visited her son three times.

October 2019

After Jon’s accusations, the mother feared “her kids [were] turning against her,” a source exclusively told In Touch in October 2019. “But by the looks of it, two already have, and who knows what Jon is planning.”

Once Jon started speaking his truth after his gag order was lifted, Kate worried he “might be up to something,” another source shared. She’s afraid that Jon might get another show, which he’s been pushing for, and that Hannah and Collin might start talking. About what? Kate says she doesn’t know, but of course she does.”

In a November 2019 interview on the Dr. Oz Show, Jon stated Collin was “wrongly institutionalized.” Additionally, he said Kate never told him where his son was and he learned of Collin’s whereabouts when his roommate smuggled a letter to his father out of the facility and contacted Jon’s manager. After learning where he was, he drove to see him following three years without contact.

February 2020

Once Collin was in his father’s care, Jon began posting family photos with him on social media. Since obtaining custody of Collin, Jon said Kate has a “no-contact” order with her son during a podcast episode of “First Class Fatherhood” in February 2020.

The following month, Collin posted a touching birthday tribute to his father on Instagram. “Happy Birthday dad!!!! To the coolest most amazing dad, and the one who’s always there for me, the one who’s always had my back, thank you so much and have a great one!!!”

May 2020

Since being in his father’s care, Collin developed a special relationship with his dad’s girlfriend, Colleen Conrad. He showed his appreciation for her on Mother’s Day, seemingly snubbing his own mother.

“I could call it Mother’s Day, but it’s more than that, Colleen, you are so much more than a mother to me, you are one of my guidelines and one of my guiding lights,” he wrote on Instagram at the time before his dad made him go private on the social media platform. “Thank you doesn’t say enough, I love you so much and you’ve done so much for me that claims you my strong, happy, loving and awesome mother figure, you’re irreplaceable.”

Following Collin’s Mother’s Day snub, a source exclusively told In Touch he “isn’t trying to repair” his relationship with Kate. “And I don’t think Kate is either,” the insider added. “They still have no relationship at this point.”