Collin Gosselin has publicly accused his mother, Kate Gosselin, of physical, emotional, and psychological abuse, detailing his experiences in his memoir. The former “Jon & Kate Plus 8” star has denied abusing her son, attributing his allegations to struggles with mental health. Now, years after the family made headlines with their reality show, a former nanny who worked for the Gosselins is speaking out about her brief time in their household.
Kate Gosselin’s Former Nanny Said The Matriarch Was ‘Downright Evil’
Following the release of Collin Gosselin’s memoir, “In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood,” one of Kate Gosselin’s former nannies is speaking out about her experience working in the reality star’s home and backing up Collin’s allegations.
Ashley H. worked as a fill-in nanny for the family sometime in 2013, and she told PEOPLE that what viewers saw on TV was far from what she witnessed. Ashley claimed that Kate had a strict “house manual” for staff and the home looked “unlived-in at all times.” At the time, Kate had already divorced Jon Gosselin and had custody of all eight of their kids.
As for Kate’s treatment of the children, she said, “I didn’t understand how somebody could be so nasty, downright evil and nasty to their own kids.”
The Nanny Claims Collin Was Treated Differently
Ashley alleges Kate showed inexplicable hostility toward Collin, and she treated him differently compared to his siblings.
“She 110 percent abused Collin. It’s hard to almost put into words the specific hate that she had towards Collin. You could just feel it. I saw her grab Collin many, many times,” she claimed. The former nanny said Kate did it “all the time,” adding that she often “rip[ped] him right out of his chair in the kitchen.”
In his memoir, Collin alleges his mother kept him isolated in an unfinished basement. He also recounts instances of physical violence, including having his ears pulled, being hit, and being dragged by his shirt.
The now-22-year-old believes the alleged abuse was linked to his refusal to participate in the family’s reality show.
Kate Gosselin Reportedly Showed Favoritism
Ashley recalled the home needed to be spotless “at all times,” claiming Kate “wouldn’t let the kids do anything.” She said the children were not allowed to leave their toys and belongings out, adding they “couldn’t live” freely in the house.
Moreover, she alleges Kate had rules when it came to the children’s school clothes, noting they only wore one of two outfits for the whole week “because it would cause too much laundry.”
Based on Ashley’s observation, Kate was “robotic” toward her children and to her, it was evident that she preferred some kids over others. “She very much made it known who was a favorite, who wasn’t, who’s annoying,” she claimed.
The Nanny Called Children And Youth Services On Kate
Ashley shared an instance when she stumbled upon a big, red plastic spoon inside a drawer of the kids’ school supplies. When she asked why it was there, one of the sextuplets, Alexis, allegedly told her, “Oh, that’s the spoon mommy uses when she gets mad.”
The former nanny worked for Kate for six months before she left, but not before alerting Children and Youth Services (CYS). “I know for a fact that I was not the only one who did that,” she said, adding that she’s sharing her experience now to support Collin and back his claims of abuse.
Collin says that about 14 CYS and Child Protective Services (CPS) reports were made, but when workers went to their home, he was too afraid to say anything due to the consequences. “I stayed careful. By the end of it, I knew I had done what was expected. I had performed well enough to keep the peace,” he said.
Kate Gosselin Claims Collin Is Struggling With Mental Health
Amid the accusations, Kate has maintained that she did not abuse Collin. She responded to a social media post by writing, “Anyone who has dealt with mental illness understands what’s going on here,” referring to her son’s claims.
Regarding Collin’s placement in a behavioral institution shortly before his 12th birthday, Kate maintained that it was medically neccesary due to his violent behavior and multiple psychiatric diagnoses. However, her ex-husband, Jon Gosselin, has disputed her claims, citing independent psychiatric evaluations that he says contradict her statement.
Jon, together with Collin and his sister Hannah, will be appearing in a Netflix documentary to share their stories.
