Collin Gosselin Pays Tribute to His Dad’s Ex-Girlfriend Calling Her His ‘Real Mom’
Collin Gosselin, a sextuplet who rose to fame before he could even form memories, is an adult now, and he’s ready to talk about his experience. The 22-year-old is set to release a tell-all book. The announcement was made just this week and happened to coincide with the birthday of Colleen Conrad, Jon Gosselin’s ex-partner and the woman who stepped in to help raise Collin. He took time out of his day to wish her the happiest of birthdays, making clear that she very much became, and always will be, his “real mom.”
Collin Gosselin used Instagram to make it clear who he sees as a mother figure in his life
Collin Gosselin has been estranged from his biological mother, Kate Gosselin, for years. That doesn’t mean he didn’t have a mother figure, though. He used his Instagram account to pay tribute to the woman he calls his “real mom.”
On June 17, Collin took to Instagram to wish Colleen Conrad a happy birthday, praising her for stepping up and helping him navigate a difficult stretch of his life. He made clear, with love, that Colleen chose him. She replied warmly, telling him, “You are my son. I love you!”
The tribute was sweet, but not entirely unexpected to fans who have followed Collin’s post-inpatient treatment life. Conrad’s place in Collin’s life traces back to Jon’s longest post-divorce relationship. Jon and Colleen, who grew up together in Pennsylvania, dated from 2014 to 2021. The pair were living together, along with Hannah Gosselin, when he fought for and won custody of Collin.
While Jon and Colleen split in 2021, she remained active in Collin’s life, even showing up to his high school graduation and defending him against his older sister, Mady Gosselin, who claimed Collin was sent away by their biological mother because he was “violent.”
While Jon has moved on, remarrying last year, he remains friendly with Conrad. Jon’s representative once revealed that the former reality TV star views Conrad as a co-parent and is appreciative of her support with Collin.
Collin’s upcoming book
Collin Gosselin’s tribute to Colleen Conrad is getting plenty of airtime because of renewed interest in the sextuplet. The upload came on the same day that Collin announced his planned memoir, In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood.
In the announcement, Collin said that he is using the book as a chance to tell his own story, instead of the story that the audience saw on a carefully curated and often-sanitized reality TV series. The cover of the memoir features a poignant image of a toddler Collin looking at the camera while his mother covers his mouth with her hand. He has spoken about his past once before, in The Dark Side of the 2000s.
