Add Page Six on Google Kate Gosselin is dreading the Oct. 13 release of her estranged son Collin’s book “In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood,” a source told Page Six.
“There is no doubt Kate is nervous this book is about to hit,” a source told us. “Kate doesn’t want anyone in the family to talk about their past. She considers any of the children who talk in the family as traitors.”
“Collin couldn’t be more spot on when he says he isn’t the one who should be nervous about the book coming out,” the source added. This is in reference to his comment to Page Six from earlier this month that he is “not the one that should be nervous.”
Collin has been estranged from his mother since 2016, when she sent him to live in a behavioral health institution at 11 years old for allegedly being violent and exhibiting unpredictable behavior.
Armed with receipts from his medical team, Collin painted a different story, claiming his mother abused and institutionalized him for not wanting to participate in the family’s TLC reality shows.
Three years later, Collin reunited with his father, Jon Gosselin, who had lost custody of all eight of his children when he and Kate divorced in 2009.
Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily.
Jon eventually located Collin, now 22, and got him out of the facility before being granted legal and physical custody.
Jon also got custody of Hannah Gosselin, one of Collin’s sextuplet siblings, after she left Kate’s house.
The rest of the sextuplets — Joel, Alexis, Leah, and Aaden — continued living with Kate and their older twin sisters, Mady and Cara, 25. They continue to remain estranged from Jon.
In the book, Collin will give fans a deeper look at growing up in the “dark” spotlight and the “trauma” he endured behind the scenes — including things Kate asked the family never to discuss.
“She originally told the kids they could never talk about Steve [Neild], the man they all lived with growing up after Jon left,” the source explained, referring to her former bodyguard-turned-boyfriend, a relationship Page Six revealed in September 2025.
“When Kate realized the information that she was still living with Steve was going to be revealed in the book, she wanted control and finally released the secret she’s been keeping for years. This book is going to reveal the truth and people will finally see the real Kate Gosselin, and it’s not pretty.”
For Collin, who graduated with honors under his dad’s guidance, writing has been the ultimate form of healing.
“Writing this was like therapy for me,” Collin, who stars in season 5 of Fox’s reality competition “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” said. “It was insanely healing. Just to be able to look at a picture of myself and be like, that’s who I’m doing it for and then think about all the millions of children who go through what I went through, being thrown into the industry against their will. That’s what you can expect in this.
“There’s a big voice in my story that will never die,” Collin continued. “This book is going to expose a lot, and there’s going to be a big message coming from it, and I hope you’re ready.”
A rep for Kate did not respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
“Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” premieres Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.
Your voice matters. Discussions are moderated for civility. Read our guidelines here
Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space.
In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience.
Your post will/might be rejected if it contains:
User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice:
Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!
