Jon Gosselin’s ex-partner Colleen Conrad is honored and proud of Collin Gosselin.
In a Friday, Oct. 23, Instagram post congratulating the 22-year-old reality TV star on his vulnerable memoir, Conrad said reading that he considers her a positive mother figure brought her to tears.
Collin, one of the sextuplets who featured on "Jon & Kate Plus 8," opened up about experiencing physical abuse and verbal attacks during the airing of the popular TLC show in his Oct. 13 memoir, "In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood."
In the book, Collin accuses his now-estranged mother, Kate Gosselin, of locking him in his basement bedroom multiple times and said that just before his 12th birthday in May 2016, he was admitted into a behavioral
institution in Philadelphia, where staff allegedly behaved aggressively.
After the memoir debuted at #1 on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list, Conrad said she is incredibly proud of the memoir author in an Instagram post featuring several photos of them together.
"Collin, where do I even begin? ❤️," Conrad wrote in the post's caption. "A #1 New York Times bestselling author! Who would have imagined that all those years ago?"
She first cried while listening to the Audible version of "In the Shadow of Eight." Conrad became emotional again when she came across the line, "You stepped into my life as the mother I needed most," and another unforgettable quote: "Strong men need strong mothers, and I was so fortunate to have mine."
"Through it all, there was a teenage boy who needed me. And what you may never fully realize is how much I needed you, too. We helped each other through some incredibly difficult times," Conrad added in her post. "Collin, those words mean more to me than you’ll ever know."
Colleen Conrad recalls meeting Collin as a child
She recounted meeting Collin and realizing he had been through more than any child should ever have to experience. She didn't know what the future held, but she knew she loved him and wanted him to feel "safe, loved, and supported." Since then, they've shared laughs, tears, holidays, vacations, challenges, and "everyday moments I’ll treasure forever."
"No matter how old you get or where life takes you, I will always be your mom. I will always love you and cheer you on. … You deserve all the happiness and success life has to offer," she concluded.
Conrad and Jon had been dating in 2014 when she met his son. Though the couple split in 2021, Jon's representative said they remained friends and confirmed in 2023 that Colleen continues to co-parent Collin, according to People magazine. Jon has been married to Stephanie Lebo since November 2025.
Collin responded to Conrad's heartfelt remarks in the comment section, writing, "I love you ❤️ I loved that you say you needed me too. It just shows how meant to be everything was. If I could’ve gone through all the hard things again I’d gladly do it, because it led me to you."
You’re kind, loving, funny and you love in a way that a real mother should," he continued. "I’ll forever be grateful to have you in my life. Thank you for listening, showing up, and never giving up on that young, broken, hurting little boy who didn’t believe in himself. Sometimes all we need is to know our mom believes in us and it gives us enough faith in ourselves."
Kate Gosselin responds to allegations from her son
Kate broke her silence on the allegations in the comment sections of an Oct. 10 TikTok video, where she shared a custom mug and discussed her dog Koda's health.
One TikTok user sympathized with the mother of eight, commenting, "It should be illegal to defame someone that way, but I just wanted to say you are doing a great job keeping your head up through all of this. We love you!"
"I know rational logical ppl or anyone who has dealt with mental illness understands what’s going on here," Kate replied to the user.
The 51-year-old mother of sextuplets and twin daughters also agreed with another comment saying Collin will "regret all of this someday," to which she responded, “Exactly! I had nothing to do with it, except for consent because it was medically necessary."
Jon Gosselin supports son Colin amid abuse claims against ex-wife Kate
Jon has shown nothing but support for his son's success. In an Oct. 15 statement to Us Weekly, he called out anyone who dismisses his son's allegations.
"Also, let me be very clear: If you continue to falsely label my son Collin as 'mentally ill,' you will be held accountable," Jon said. "As you know, Collin has been evaluated by multiple independent psychiatrists, and that narrative is proven categorically untrue."
Collin Gosselin last talked to Kate after being 'imprisoned' in facility
Collin spoke to USA TODAY about the alleged verbal and physical abuse, neglect and isolation that occurred when cameras weren't rolling.
He accused his mother of wrapping his arms and ankles with zip ties and said he hasn't spoken to her since he was "imprisoned" at the psychiatric institution Fairmount Behavioral Health System in Philadelphia.
"I don't think putting your hands on your kid on the daily is what I would consider discipline," he said. "It's not doing anything in the brain of a child besides damaging it."
Collin alleges in the book that Kate hired a contractor to build a basement wall, creating a room with an air mattress, which he previously said he spent 70% of his time in. He alleges that the room had two cameras inside, was locked from the outside, and that he had to ask for permission to leave and use the restroom.
Contributing: Kalia Richardson, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jon Gosselin's ex tells Collin amid feud with Kate – 'I will always be your mom'
