Jon Gosselin clapped back after his ex-wife Kate Gosselin claimed their son Collin Gosselin is “troubled” and in need of psychiatric help. “Kate posting cruel false accusations regarding Collin seems to be just another way for her to justify her inexcusable horrific past behavior toward him,” the former DJ, 46, told the U.S. Sun on Friday, via his rep. “True love for a child wouldn’t include a mother attacking their son to the public.”
Jon’s rep claimed that Collin, 19, was recently cleared from an extensive background check and mental evaluation to join the US Marine Corps, saying, “The government’s full diagnoses clearly reflects the truth.” They added, “Do not forget that a judge awarded sole legal and physical custody of Collin to his father.”
The remarks came after Kate, 48, responded to comments Collin made about her in Vice’s show, The Dark Side of the 2000s, where he alleged that his mother “drove a barrier” between the siblings and accused her of being “abusive” toward him. Kate said she never wanted to speak out regarding her difficult relationship with Collin, but she told PEOPLE on Friday, July 21 that she felt she had “no other choice.”
“I feel I have been backed into a corner and left with no choice. Although it saddens me to do so, I need to speak out now,” Kate began. “My son Collin, whom I love with all my heart, has received multiple psychiatric diagnoses over the years,” she alleged. “For the safety of myself, his brothers and sisters and for his own well-being, he was placed in a facility following years of outpatient treatment which proved insufficient for his needs.”
She added, “Unfortunately, I believe Collin remains a very troubled young man who continues to need a lot of help. His brothers and sisters and I have not been directly involved in his life due to his history of unpredictable behavior and violent tendencies towards us.”
Jon and Collin have openly discussed Collin’s past hospitalization when he was 12 years old. During their appearance on Tuesday’s Vice TV’s Dark Side of the 2000s, Jon revealed that he had spent a substantial amount, around $1 million, to help Collin with his treatment. In a 2019 interview with the Daily Mail, Jon mentioned that, at that time, Collin’s only known medical condition was ADHD, and there were no other diagnosed issues.
In Kate’s conclusion of her lengthy message, she said, “What his sister Mady posted on social media recently is completely accurate and I deeply appreciate her bravery in doing so.” In a post to her Instagram on Thursday morning, Mady responded to her brother’s claims, saying, “I do not owe my allegiance to any person(s) who has physically threatened me and every member of my immediate family.”
Both Jon and Collin have denied that the 19-year-old engaged in violent conduct at any time. Collin has been estranged from Kate since 2018, when he and his sister Hannah went to live with their father. Collin remains estranged from his six other siblings as well. They include 22-year-old Cara and four other sextuplets, Aaden, Alexis, Joel, and Leah.