Kate Gosselin's estranged son Collin praised by his father's ex amid bombshell memoir: 'I will always be your mom'

Collin Gosselin has received support from his dad Jon Gosselin's ex-girlfriend Colleen Conrad in the wake of his bombshell memoir, which levels abuse allegations against his mom Kate Gosselin.

The 22-year-old author rose to prominence alongside his parents and seven siblings on TLC's reality show Jon & Kate Plus 8.

Amid the release of In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood earlier this month, Conrad praised Collin in a gushing social media tribute.

'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,' she declared.

She added elsewhere in the lengthy, sentimental note, 'When you came into my life, you had already been through more than any child should ever have to experience. I didn’t know what the years ahead would bring, but I knew I loved you and wanted you to feel safe, loved, and supported.'

Jon, 49, and Colleen were in a relationship from 2014 to 2021. The father of eight married second wife Stephanie Lebo in 2025.

Conrad reiterated throughout her post how 'proud' she is of Collin.

She reminisced, 'We’ve shared so much together. The laughter, the tears, the holidays, the vacations, the challenges, and all those everyday moments I’ll treasure forever. Watching you grow into the man you are today has been one of the greatest joys of my life.'

Colleen, a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, detailed her experience hearing Collin's book for the first time on Audible. 

'Listening to your book was incredibly emotional. It brought back beautiful memories, but also painful ones. I was going through breast cancer, the end of my relationship with your dad, and so many changes in my own life,' she candidly shared.

She went on: '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.'

The mental health professional added that 'the Audible version didn’t include your acknowledgments' and she 'cried all over again' when she received the physical copy of the book and read the dedication Collin had written to her.

Collin's tribute read, 'You stepped into my life as the mother I needed most,' and, 'Strong men need strong mothers, and I was so fortunate to have mine.'

Conrad gushed, 'Collin, those words mean more to me than you’ll ever know.'

The newly minted New York Times bestselling author replied in the comments with an equally emotional message.

'I love you ❤️ I loved that you say you needed me too. It just shows how meant to be everything was,' he wrote.

'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. I’ll forever be grateful to have you in my life,' he added. 

'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 ❤️❤️,' Collin ended the sweet note.

It has so far racked up more than 7,000 likes while Conrad's post has been liked more than 45,000 times.

Collin first unveiled his book plans in June, promising to detail 'the reality of his childhood.'

'In the Shadow of Eight is available now for preorder,' he announced on Instagram at the time.

He teased about the memoir, which was published October 13, 'This isn’t the story people think they know. It’s the story I’ve lived.' And he promised to cover the 'abuse, injustice, and the exploitation of children.'

Collin slighted his mom and praised Colleen, calling her his 'real mom' in a separate post.

Kate, 51, and her ex-husband Jon – who split in 2009 – share twins Madelyn and Cara, 26, and sextuplets Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Leah and Joel.

Last week Kate defended herself amid Collin's abuse allegations.

She responded to a supporter in the comments section of a TikTok video she posted, showing her celebrating boyfriend Steve Nield's birthday.

When a follower commended her for the sacrifices she has made as a mom, Kate replied: 'Wow. Thank you. I needed this encouragement. I know who I am and my kids know who I truly am and to me, that's all that matters.'

Jon & Kate Plus 8 aired for five seasons on TLC spanning 2007-2017, once amassing 9.8M viewers with the fifth season premiere.

Kate filed for divorce from Jon in 2009 at the height of their reality TV fame, prompting a contentious custody battle.

Ultimately, Jon obtained full custody of Hannah and Collin, while his ex-wife was granted custody of the rest of the children.

During a TikTok live in 2025, Kate got honest about their divorce, acknowledging that the downfall of the marriage 'did not turn out well for my kids.'

'I don't know if you have kids or don't have kids,' she said to her online audience, 'But I made decisions based on how I would want to be treated, honestly.'

In a 2023 interview with Vice TV, Collin accused his mom of abuse and said she treated him differently than his siblings.

Kate rebutted in a statement to People, claiming, 'My son Collin, whom I love with all my heart, has received multiple psychiatric diagnoses over the years. 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.'