Reality Star, 22, Vows to Expose ‘Shocking’ Truth of Childhood

Collin Gosselin is ready to tell his side of the story — and he says it is far darker than anything viewers saw on TV.

The former “Jon & Kate Plus 8” child star is releasing a bombshell memoir this fall, promising to pull back the curtain on what he describes as the shocking truth behind his famous family’s carefully polished image.

The book, titled “In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood,” is set to hit shelves on Oct. 13.

According to the publisher’s description, the tell-all will reveal the “never-before-told story” of how Collin survived a childhood lived in front of cameras while, he claims, the worst parts of his life were hidden from the public.

The description teases a brutal look at “the dark side of fame,” including the people and systems Collin says allowed him to be “erased.”

Now 22, Collin is expected to revisit deeply disturbing allegations from his childhood, including claims that he was held down, hidden in a basement, and forced to take powerful antipsychotic drugs when he was just 11 years old.

The book also reportedly includes a shocking memory from Christmas morning, when gifts were allegedly taken back once the cameras stopped rolling.

The cover itself is already raising eyebrows. It features an old photo of his mother, Kate Gosselin, with her hand clamped over Collin’s mouth.

Collin is one of Jon and Kate Gosselin’s sextuplets, along with Aaden, Joel, Alexis, Hannah and Leah. The former couple also share 25-year-old twins Cara and Madelyn.

The family became household names when their TLC reality show, “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” premiered in 2007. After Jon and Kate’s messy divorce, the show continued as “Kate Plus 8” and ran for years as viewers watched the children grow up on camera.

But Collin now says the public never saw the full story.

While speaking to Us Weekly, he said his childhood was “broadcast to millions,” but claimed that much of what really happened was deliberately kept hidden.

“Finally, I’m sharing what was really happening behind the scenes,” Collin told the outlet. “This book is about truth, survival, resilience and finding my voice after years of being silenced.”

He added that he hopes his story helps others feel less alone.

“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,” he said.

Collin also admitted he was scared to speak out for years.

“I was afraid,” he said, explaining that he did not think people would believe him and was not ready to tell his story.

Over the years, Collin has made headlines for accusing his mother of child abuse and exploitation. He has claimed he was zip-tied, locked in a basement and later institutionalized.

Kate has repeatedly denied his abuse claims.

The family feud has also divided the Gosselin siblings. In 2023, Collin’s sister Madelyn publicly defended Kate and accused Collin of physical violence and hate speech. Collin and his father, Jon, denied those claims.

Jon was granted sole custody of Collin in 2018. Hannah later moved in with him as well.

Jon appeared to support Collin’s new book by sharing pre-order links on Instagram Stories. Kate has not publicly commented on the memoir.

Collin says writing the book forced him to relive some of the hardest parts of his life, but also helped him find something he had long been searching for.

“This isn’t the story people think they know,” he said. “It’s the story I’ve lived.”