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Kate Gosselin’s son Collin breaks his silence about their estrangement

The former "Jon and Kate Plus 8" star, 18, is reflecting on his rocky relationship with his mom.
Kate Gosselin, John Gosselin, and their 8 children on TODAY on October 2, 2007.
Kate Gosselin, John Gosselin, and their 8 children on TODAY on October 2, 2007.Heidi Gutman / NBCUniversal via Getty Images
/ Source: TODAY

Kate Gosselin’s 18-year-old son Collin is opening up for the first time about their estrangement

In an interview with ET, the former "Jon & Kate Plus 8" star reflected on his mother’s decision to send him in 2016 to what she described to People magazine as a residential program for kids with special needs. 

“After being there, I didn’t have a relationship with her,” Collin revealed. The high school senior, who is one of the Gosselin sextuplets, also said he believes that reality TV "tore" his family apart. 

TLC’s “Jon and Kate Plus 8” ran from 2007 to 2017. When the series premiered, sextuplets Collin, Hannah, Joel, Alexis, Leah and Aaden were two, while Kate and Jon Gosselin’s twins, Madelyn and Cara, were six.

“It gave us less time to actually be together as a family, (and) more time to be in the public eye,” Collin told ET.

Following Kate and Jon’s tumultuous divorce in 2009, the show was renamed “Kate Plus 8." Jon was granted sole custody of Collin in 2018

“It’s unfortunate that we didn’t have a relationship. I think every son wants to have a relationship with their mom,” Collin shared. 

Collin said in the interview that his experiences with Kate were “worse than what you would say the average kid goes through with their parent.”

“I came to the conclusion that everybody has their own agenda, you know?” he said. “My mom had her own agenda, and I don’t know exactly what that was. But I was put in a tough spot and my agenda was to make it out on top that tough spot.”

Collin noted that he is open to a reconciliation. 

“It would be ideal,” Collin told ET.

Collin and his sister Hannah both live with dad Jon full-time. Earlier this year, Hannah told ET that her relationship with Kate is “pretty stable” and that they “text each other and call each other on a daily basis.”

“I chose to live with my dad. I feel like I just made the choice for myself,” she said. “I have always been closer with my dad.”

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