Jon Gosselin and Collin Gosselin | Kate Gosselin | Source: Instagram.com/jongosselin1 | Getty Images
In a new interview, Jon Gosselin's son Collin opened up about his experience at two "scary" institutions his mom sent him to when he was 12.
Collin revealed he begged his dad to save him from the institution where he felt "hopeless" and "in a dark place."
He also spoke about his relationship with his mom and his plans for the future.
Collin Gosselin, 18, one of Jon Gosselin and his ex-wife Kate's eight children, is opening up about a dark past he had to endure after his mother institutionalized him in 2016.
According to Kate, Collin had special needs and needed to be enrolled in an institution away from home to learn special skills. Collin says he was institutionalized twice in two different institutions that were "scary."
Collin did not think he needed to be taken to the facilities and admitted that his time there was difficult. Sadly, there was nothing he could have done at the time to help his situation.
Kate Gosselin visits "Extra" at Universal Studios Hollywood on June 12, 2019 in Universal City, California | Source: Getty Images
Collin thinks his mother was wrong to see him as a special needs child, which at the time, Kate said had impacted her and the rest of the family. Collin says he did not see the things in him that his mother claimed to, and neither did anyone else. He adds:
"But if that's how she sees me then, that's her point of view and I hope that if we meet again one day, she would understand that you know, it's not the case."
Television personality Jon Gosselin at a Wet Republic event at the MGM Grand Hotel/Casino on August 29, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada | Source: Getty Images
When he learned that his son had been institutionalized, Collin's dad, Jon, was against it and thought Collin should not have been there. However, Kate was insistent, a decision that only drove an already struggling mother-son relationship to the edge.
How Did Jon Gosselin Save His Son?
Eventually, Collin sought help from Jon, writing him a gut-wrenching letter asking him to come and save him. He said he was in a "dark place mentally" and felt that being there did more harm than good.
In the note dated 2017, Collin asked his dad to please come fast because his situation at the institution was "hopeless." The emotional letter, written in crayons, also said:
"You're my dad, my savior, please help me. I'm counting on you to get me out of here."
Collin explained that he was admitted when he was only 12 and spent his 13th and 14th birthdays there. After writing the note to his dad, which his older roommate smuggled out of the institution, Jon's manager arranged for Collin's roommate to make a legal affidavit about what he'd seen of Collin's situation. In that way, Collin was rescued.
In a 2019 interview with DailyMailTV, Jon claimed Kate had "caged" Collin at the special needs institution and only visited him thrice while refusing to tell Jon where their son was. He now believes Collin developed PTSD due to his time there.
Even after Collin left the institution, he never saw much of his mother. In fact, he says Kate never showed up to his custody hearing when Jon was given custody of him and his sister Hannah.
What Relationship Does Collin Have with His Mom Now?
Long before Kate institutionalized Collin, their mother-son relationship was already severed. Collin claims that due to their family show "Jon & Kate Plus 8, " they spent less time bonding as a family and more time in front of cameras. As a result, his relationship with his mother became almost non-existent.
In addition, Kate's stint of sending Collin to the two institutions further drove the wedge between them. However, Collin is not one to hold grudges.
Despite their complicated past, he says he is open to reconciliation and wants a better future relationship between himself and his mother. Asked if he'd like to mend their relationship, he says:
"Yes, it would be ideal."
Ever so positive, Collin looks at his past situations as a lesson to be resilient and is looking to build a bright future for himself. He is currently eyeing the Marine Corps and says he will also consider acting. He thinks being one's own boss is appealing too and says he wants to open his own business someday.
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