Key Points
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Collin Gosselin’s book, In the Shadow of Eight, includes kind words about father Jon Gosselin’s ex, Colleen Conrad, whom he dated from 2014 to 2021.
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The memoir also includes accusations of abuse against Collin’s mother, Kate, which she has denied.
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Conrad said Collin had needed her, but she had needed him too, and watching him grow up had been “one of the greatest joys” of her life.
Jon Gosselin‘s ex Colleen Conrad is congratulating Collin, the son of Jon and Kate Gosselin, on his new book, In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood, with an emotional message.
“Collin, where do I even begin? A #1 New York Times bestselling author! Who would have imagined that all those years ago?” Conrad, who dated the Jon and Kate Plus 8 star from 2014 to 2021, wrote, in part, on Instagram. “I am so incredibly proud of you!”
She added, “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.”
She said that seeing Collin, 22, grow up “has been one of the greatest joys of my life.”
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Collin needed her, she said, but he wasn’t alone in that.
“What you may never fully realize is how much I needed you, too,” she wrote. “We helped each other through some incredibly difficult times.”
Conrad explained that she’d listened to the book, so she was surprised to receive the hardcover copy that included an acknowledgment to her.
“When my book finally arrived, I read what you had written to me and cried all over again,” Conrad wrote. “‘You stepped into my life as the mother I needed most. And the words I’ll never forget: Strong men need strong mothers, and I was so fortunate to have mine.’ Collin, those words mean more to me than you’ll ever know.”
As proud as she was of his book, she said she was “even prouder of the man you’ve become.”
Conrad added, “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.”
Collin responded in the comments: “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. 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.”
In his book, Collin accused his mother Kate Gosselin of physically abusing him and forcing him to sleep in a locked basement.
Kate, who was married to Jon from 1999 to 2009, has repeatedly refuted her son’s accusations and has suggested that he has mental health issues, which he has denied.
Collin’s book, In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood, is available in bookstores.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
