Kate Gosselin’s Son Collin Accuses Her of Tying Him Up, Keeping Him in Family’s Basement

Collin Gosselin accused his mother Kate Gosselin of locking him in a basement room as a kid by himself, allegedly tied up with zip ties at times. 

By Hayley Santaflorentina Sep 10, 2024 10:27 PM
| Updated Sep 11, 2024 3:32 AM
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Watch: Kate Gosselin’s Son Collin Accuses Her of Tying Him Up, Keeping Him in Family’s Basement

Collin Gosselin is telling more of his side of the story. 

The Jon & Kate Plus 8 alum leveled additional accusations against his estranged mother Kate Gosselin, alleging she often kept him in a locked room in their basement while growing up.

“My mother had a room built in our unfinished section of the storage basement," the 20-year-old told The U.S. Sun in an interview published Sept. 10. "She had a room put up with cameras in it, a tiny window in the corner and it was bolt-locked from the outside. It was like a containment room, and it had a mattress on the floor and that's how I lived.”

And while alleging his mother often became “physically aggressive and verbally very abusive,” Collin continued, “When my mother would put me in that room multiple times, she had zip-tied my hands and feet together and bolt locked the door, turned the lights off and had cameras there just watching me."

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The reality TV alum—who currently lives with his father Jon Gosselin and his sibling Hannah Gosselin while he remains estranged from his mother and six other siblings—also shared how he feels this alleged isolation affected his relationship with the rest of his family. 

“I didn't go to school after a certain point,” Collin said. “So, most of the day I was in that room and I was away from my siblings and I never really went outside. I never played with them. I was kept there. It was literally containment."

Jon Gosselin/Instagram

He added of Kate, “I definitely went through it a lot as a kid from my mother's end. So it was tough. I just remember being isolated from my siblings and constantly taking the fall for her emotions or the tough things going on in her life.

However, Kate’s lawyer Richard Puleo said in a statement to The U.S. Sun that he doesn’t believe the 49-year-old has done anything to "intentionally harm" Collin.

"There's always two sides to every story and when things take place in the past, it's hard to determine because people have differing recollections and perspectives," the lawyer said in part. "I think she did whatever she did to protect herself and her family from some of his troubled behavior as a child."

The attorney added, "However I think if Kate did the things that Collin is accusing Kate of, she would have been investigated by the authorities and prosecuted."

E! News has reached out to reps for Kate, Collin and Jon for comment but has not yet heard back.

Raymond Hall/GC Images

For his part, Jon told The U.S. Sun that the basement room is allegedly still there. 

"My friends' in-laws bought our house,” he revealed, “and one time they asked me 'Why is there a room in the basement with a bed and a lock on the outside?'”

He added of his son, "It must have been terrifying for him."

Paul Archuleta/Getty Images

Read on for a closer look at the Gosselin family.

Sextuplets Turn 21

Sextuplets HannahCollin, Alexis, Aaden, Leah and Joel turned 21 on May 10, 2025, and Kate shared pics from the latter four's birthday celebration.

Hannah's 21st Birthday Celebration

Hannah celebrated her birthday with her dad and his fiancée Stephanie Lebo.

Sextuplets' 20th Birthday

On Mother's Day 2024, two days after the former couple's sextuplets turned 20, Kate shared a tribute the four who lived with her: AlexisAadenJoel and Leah.

"No more teenagers in this house! Happy 20th birthday, my forever babies! I love you!" she wrote on Instagram. "Who feels old? I know I do! #20yearsold #ItsaPICKLE."

Hannah's Birthday Post

Hannah shared new pics of herself on her and the other sextuplet's 20th birthday.

Hannah the Graduate

On to the next chapter! The sextuplet graduated from high school in 2023.

High School Graduates

Jon shared a pic of sextuplets Collin and Hannah graduating from high school in 2023, years after they had moved in with him.

Girls' Trip

Kate appeared with twin Mady and Cara in New York City in this 2019 pic.

All Grown-Up

"Happy 18th birthday!" Jon wrote on Instagram in 2022. "Today is your birthday we gonna say it loud. I love you. Love, Dad."

Birthday Bash

"Our big celebration of #15 is finally winding down here! We celebrated ALL DAY LONG, beginning with a present at 6:30 am before school! I'm so very thankful for my ‘babies'.... somehow they are 15 already?!" Kate wrote on the special milestone in 2019. "I'm amazed by them each day! I'm so proud of the positive qualities I've seen developing as they edge closer to adulthood." 

Back to Class

"This was yesterday! Feels like school never ended...and they're already back! #SeniorYear #EighthGrade #ProudMom," Kate wrote on Instagram in 2018.

 

Birthday Greetings

"Happy 15th Birthday Hannah, Collin, Alexis, Aaden, Joel and Leah!!!! Wow I can't believe you are 15!!! Time is flying by!!!" Jon Gosselin shared on Instagram when posing with Hannah and Collin Gosselin. "I love you all very much. I wish you the best day ever and I hope you enjoy your birthday celebrations today and this weekend!!! Love always, Dad." 

Girl Power

"My beautiful 'little girls' .... they keep reminding me how many days until they turn 14. Today it was '12 days til we turn 14, Mom.' HOW'S THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?!" Kate shared with her followers in 2018. "I told Leah that she's too small to turn 14. She said 'Yeah, true. Are you sure I'm not turning 11 or 12?' I'm positive. I gave birth to you. They'll always be my babies....I love them so very much!" 

Growing Up Gosselin

"I can't believe they're 13!" Kate Gosselin wrote on Instagram when celebrating a major birthday for her sextuplets. 

Greetings From Alaska

Rewind to 2014 when Kate and her children found themselves visiting Alaska. 

Girls Trip

Kate also treated her twin daughters Cara Gosselin and Mady Gosselin to a trip to New York City in 2014, where they stopped by the Manhattan Hotel. 

Happy Holidays

"A precious Christmas memory. My 6 were 6. Christmas Eve 2010 and they're SO excited for Christmas!" Kate Gosselin wrote on Instagram with a throwback photo. "Look at those adorable smiles! #TheyAreMyHeart #My8ReasonsToKeepOnKeepingOn #NoMatterWhat #TrueLoveX8." 

 

Camera Ready

Back in October 2007, Jon and Kate Gosselin gathered their eight kids together for a trip to New York City. First stop? A visit to NBC's Today show. 

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