'Jon & Kate Plus 8' Scandal: 6 Bombshell Abuse Claims

Another child of the reality show social. media age is [music] speaking out about. what allegedly happened behind the. scenes. And these claims are eerily. similar to accusations of abuse [music]. against other alleged supermoms. We are. examining the allegations from Colin. Goslin of John and Kate Plus8 [music]. fame as he releases a stomach turning. memoir. Welcome to Sidebar, presented. [music] by Law and Crime. I'm Jesse.

Weber. [music]. There is a new memoir from Colin Goselin. that is drawing comparisons to claims. that were made by the children of. notorious mom influencer turned abuser. Ruby Frankie. And to be clear as we get. into this, these are just allegations, okay? But the famous family at the. center of these latest allegations is of. course the Gosselins, right? Two. parents, eight children. They were big. stars for years in the early 2000s. and. it was thanks to their show on TLC John.

and Kate Plus 8. Colin Goselin is one of. the Gosselin sexuplets that was born in. May of 2004 and he was featured in TV. documentaries, reality television series. basically from the time he was born. But. Colin claims that there was a much. darker side to the family, much darker. side to the familyfriendly programming. In fact, in an interview with Guju Chang. for uh Good Morning America, he claims.

that everything you saw on TV was quote. lies. Back during the summer when Colin. announced the pre-order details for his. book, it's called In the Shadow of. Eight, he posted this on Instagram. Quote, "Growing up, millions of people. watch my life on television. People felt. like they knew me. They knew my family. They watched me grow up. But there was. so much they never saw. For years, I. kept those experiences to myself. Some. because I was afraid, some because I.

didn't think anyone would believe me, and some because I just wasn't ready. Writing this book forced me to revisit. some of the hardest moments of my life. But it also gave me something I've been. searching for for a long time, my voice. This isn't the story people think they. know. It's the story I've lived. And he. also posted a photo of himself as a. toddler, writing, "Dear little me, you. won't always carry this alone. One day, you'll turn your pain into purpose, your. silence into a voice, and your story.

into hope for other children. You will. be the reason someone else speaks up. I'm so proud of you." In the shadow of. eight is now out and it contains some. really startling allegations. According. to column, things really took a turn in. 2009 when John and Kate Gosselin. announced their divorce. Kate was. granted apparently primary custody of. all eight kids and they continued doing. reality TV. You might remember this. It. was the show shortened title Kate Plus.

8. So Colin claims that Kate isolated. him from his dad, made him sleep in a. locked room in a basement. At one point. he claims she dragged him across the. room by his earlobe. teacher reportedly. saw his swollen ear, asked him about it, had him talk to a guidance counselor. When he told the counselor about it, Colin claims Kate wasn't happy, and she. would eventually go on to pull him out. of school while his siblings still got. to go. Colin told Juju Chang during his. GMA interview, quote, "Simply put, my. whole life that I lived was a lie. All.

the things you see on TV, lies. We were. redoing takes. It was like, cry a little. harder, laugh a little louder." And. that's what caused me to say, "I don't. want to be part of this machine. anymore." Colin says he was often framed. on the show as being one of the. difficult children. He told Chang, "I. was difficult because I was the only one. of my siblings who pushed back against. filming and that whole facade my mom. spent years building. I was a danger. because I could have so easily dismanted. that facade. The truth is is that my.

siblings were being overworked. We were. being exploited. There was just no. adults to say, "Maybe this isn't okay. for children." And Colin claims as. things got worse, Kate even allegedly. zip tied his hands and feet together and. locked him in the basement. Now, when I. say that and I talk about that. allegation, I go back to what I. mentioned at the beginning. I go back to. what I imagine a lot of people are going. to make a comparison to, right? Doesn't. that eerily remind you of some of the. allegations from Ruby Frankie's children.

made against her when they were finally. rescued from Jodie Hildebrand's house. out in Utah? Frankie's two youngest. children, boy and girl, right? Duct tape. on wrists, ankles. The young boy managed. to escape, run to a neighbor's house for. help. Children were part of a family of. eight that documented their lives on the. YouTube channel eight passengers for. years. And in a prior interview in 2024. with the son, and that's important. So, it's not like these allegations are just. coming out now. There was allegations. from years before. Colin said at the.

time, "My mother had a room built in our. unfinished section of the storage. basement. 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, literally, and it had a mattress on the. floor, and that's how I lived. Colin was. also reportedly separated from his own. siblings. He told ABC News that his mom. had him forcibly removed from his home. just days before his 12th birthday and. taken to an institution where he was. given medication. I was told, "This is. for your own good. I threatened my mom's.

income. I threatened her image and. people will do anything to protect their. reputation, especially my mom. Collins. says he was in that institution for. around a year before he managed to sneak. out a note to John, his father, written. in crayon, which he says read, "I'm. counting on you to get me out of here. Daddy, I love you. Save me." And it was. another year before Colin was ultimately. released. But he says once he was, he. went to live with his dad and one of his. sisters who decided to leave Kate's.

care. and Colin reportedly had no. contact with his other siblings. John. told the son in 2024 that he had no idea. about any alleged physical or verbal. abuse. Claims all that happened after he. left the home. Colin claims that Kate. was investigated by child protective. services or youth services, but says. paperwork shows the allegations were put. down as quote unfounded. Over the years, Kate has responded to this. She has. responded to some of Colin's claims. In.

2023, she posted a statement to. Instagram saying in part, "My son Colin, 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. The decision to admit him was. made by emergency room doctors following. one of his many attacks outbursts. this. one involving his use of a weapon. Fast. forward to the present day and following. Jon's removal of Colin from treatment.

My son's unpredictable and violent. behaviors have sadly continued regularly. towards John, Hannah, and others around. him. She went on to say, "All parent. child relationships are complex, but. when mental illness is involved, it is. incredibly complicated and painful and. certainly not easy for others on the. outside to understand. All measures that. were taken in our home were at the. explicit recommendation of his pediatric. psychiatrist and or his team of. specialists and were put into place to. safeguard every member of our family,

our friends as well as our family pets. And she also claimed in 2023 that Colin. had been diagnosed with quote multiple. psychiatric disorders. So, oppositional. defiant disorder, PTSD. There's also. references to autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity. disorder, obsessivecompulsive disorder. And by the way, Colin himself denies. that he has these conditions. Says he. was falsely diagnosed. He says he. underwent a psychiatric evaluation that. concluded he did not meet the criteria,

but the specifics haven't been released, so we don't have a clear sense of this. But so far, the only response from Kate. about Colin's book came in a response to. a follower on Tik Tok that was back over. the summer. And this is per InTouch. magazine. She wrote, quote, "If you are. 100% certain that the accusations. against you are lies, my suggestion. would be to take him to court and sue. him for defamation. I can't because I'm. a public figure. Rules are different, unfortunately." Or, "I deaf would." In a.

podcast interview with life coach J. machete. Colin responded to that or. seemingly responded to that saying, quote, "My mom has claimed that because. she's a public figure, she can't take. legal action or whatever. Yes, you can. Anybody can go and sue for defamation. But I'll tell you, and I'll say this. right now publicly, she won't because I. have evidence that she has abused me. And if she does decide to take legal. action, she will lose. And I can say. that confidently." So, aside from how.

ugly this of course is, there are some. legal issues that are coming to place. here, both, I think, in the civil arena. and in the criminal arena. And that's. what I want to talk about. All right, I. know this is a 180, but I just got to. say this. Look, you know those go-to. pieces in your wardrobe, like your. favorite pair of pants, the sweater that. goes with every outfit, the t-shirt that. you'd wear 24/7 if you could, those are. the pieces that make getting dressed. easy. And that is what Quint is all. about, our sponsor. Because Quint. focuses on highquality wardrobe staples.

with some of the best materials out. there. 100% Mongolian Kashmir, organic. cotton, even marino wool. You are. getting the quality and style of a. luxury brand without the price tag. Their 100% Mongolian cashmere sweaters. start at just $60. You talk about the. t-shirts, okay, these things are soft, they're comfortable, professional. looking. It has everything. So find your. next fall favorites at Quint. Download. the Quint app for app exclusive offers. or go to quint.com. You get free. shipping on your order. 365day returns.

It's now available in Canada and the UK, too. And when Quint asks where you heard. about them, let them know that it was. right here on Sidebar. It really is the. best way to support our show here. Hope. you enjoy. Okay, so I was thinking who's. the perfect person to talk about this? Well, attorney to the stars, Bradford. Cohen would be great. Thank you so much. for coming on, Bradford. Really, really. appreciate it. Look, you know, I I I I I. didn't I'll be completely honest, I. didn't know anything about. uh that much about this story, that much.

about this family. I remember the show. back in the day, and as as I was looking. at this and I was listening to what. Colin was saying, you know, first you. would look at this and say, "Oh my gosh, a memoir coming out. This is when. allegations fly. This is when people. make salacious claims." But if you read. a little bit more into it, these are. allegations that were made back in the. day. Kate had responded to allegations. uh years past. Um you're talking about a. potential documentation, a report uh. children's youth services potentially. getting involved. You wonder is there.

substance to these allegations and if. there's something there. So just overall. when you hear what he is saying now in. public interviews and what is being uh. mentioned in this published memoir or. about to be published memoir um what's. your overall take? >> I think that. both kind of stories can be true in my. opinion. So the mom thought she was. doing the best that she could for her. son. I I don't think that she was.

purposely trying to abuse uh you know. him or try to mentally mess him up or. anything like that. I think that her. truth is essentially hey listen I had a. kid he was a little out of control and I. think she doesn't know how to handle. that. I think that there was a lot of. kids you know to take care of. She was. going through a divorce. I don't think. she knew quite how to handle it and that. she probably handled it incorrectly. So. that's kind of her truth that she's.

living like, okay, you know, this kid. was in in a lot of trouble. I had to. send him away because he was messing up. every every other kid that was involved. in this thing. And then his truth is. really true, too, that it really did. mess him up and she was locking him in. rooms that, you know, he didn't think he. deserved, but he could have been really. a a wild kid that she didn't know how to. handle. And did she handle it. inappropriately? You know, there's. probably some validity to that. >> Is he insinuating that he's the victim.

of a of criminal child abuse when you. read these allegations? >> Yeah, I think he is. Yeah, I think he's. trying to say that it was a crime. Um, I. think that he's, you know, asserting. that she did certain things to him that. was that were abusive uh physically. You. know, some of the things you just, you. know, she dragged him across the room by. his ear. Uh it it you know I'm bald. because my mom used to drag me by my. hair. [snorts] So like you know the when. when we're growing up you know parents.

do things that they think are. appropriate at the time that might in. you know you look back on it when you're. 40 years old or 30 years old and you go. man that that probably wasn't. appropriate at that time. This kid's 22. and he's looking back and saying my mom. dragged me across the room by my ear. Things like that I think are you look at. it from both sides. You can see really. both sides. I've seen parents that smack. kids on the tush. I don't get offended. by it. But the kid grows up and he's 23.

years old and then he says to his. psychiatrist, "My parents used to hit me. on my tush and then all of a sudden it. becomes, you know, they're asserting. that there's a crime there." So I think. that she handled it some of those things. when I'm listening to him. I think she. handled it inappropriately. I I don't. think either side is really lying about. it. I think that she thinks she handled. it appropriately and he thinks she. didn't handle it appropriately and I. think both can be correct. And um you. know like I said I think a single mom.

handling eight kids and then one of them. she perceives as being a troublemaker. and he may have been a troublemaker uh. but I don't think she handled it. correctly. But again that's Monday. morning quarterbacking. I don't know. because you're not in it with them and. you're not living it every day. So like. did she think she needed to send him. away to get right? Maybe she did. And. then the kid feels like I am right. I. don't need to be in this institute or. wherever she sent him to. And he sends a. letter to his dad saying please rescue.

me. You know kids do that when you're in. when you you get I had friends that got. sent away to to sleepa away camp at six. years old. Now today you'd say holy cow. you're sending a kid to sleepaway camp. at six years old. That to me sounds. crazy, but these kids were getting sent. away to the Catskills, you know, and. they're six years old and they're. running around the camp and they're. sending letters. Please save me, you. know. So, like I. >> Well, well, in all fairness and an. institution is different than a summer.

camp, but but I I just have to make this. point. I have to ask you generally. speaking, generally speaking, is it. possible like when people if a if a if. an adult is now making allegations that. they were abused as a child, is there a. statute of li limitations generally. speaking? Or do investigators look at. this and say, "No, we can charge a. caregiver, a parent with child abuse, whether it was 10 years ago, 15 years. ago, whatever it is, or is there a. statute of limitations generally.

speaking on the law?" And I'm not saying. that she committed a crime. I'm not. saying that this is going to amount to. an investigation, but I'm just curious, have you ever seen that um materialize? >> Um I I think that generally there's a. statute of limitation on these type of. of of crimes. If it was a sexual crime, I think that you'd be looking at. something differently. But if it's a. crime of child abuse when the child was. younger and there was never an. investigation done, a full. investigation, there was no accusations.

made at the time, it would have to be. kind of like an ongoing thing in order. to fit within a a statute of. limitations, which I don't think they. have here. So, no, I I don't think that. there's going to be any kind of criminal. uh liability on behalf of of K. >> or investigation. You don't think. there's going to be an investigation? >> Listen, it knows these days. Would there. be an investigation that goes nowhere? Maybe, but I don't even think somebody. would pick up this investigation unless. they wanted the press. You know, there's, you know, I if it was in. certain jurisdictions that I think the. AGs of those state really look for.

press, I think that, you know, they. could say we're opening an. investigation. It's going to go nowhere. I I don't see any criminal liability. whatsoever. >> I want to talk about how Kate may. respond to this. Um, look, in the past, she's denied allegations of abuse. She. called it heartbreaking. in 2023. She. said these were complete fabrications. that they were dis the distorted. perception of reality is one of the many. issues that he always struggled with. Um. she went on Tik Tok um this past summer.

that she doesn't feel the need to defend. herself. Um I will also tell you in 2016. Kate told ABC I'm in the public eye. I. have been investigated many times. It's. always unfounded. Obviously this is. respect to the youth agencies. Um, and. in 2023 also she had said that Colin had. received multiple psychiatric uh. diagnoses over the years, that he was. prone to attacks and outbursts, one.

allegedly involving the use of a weapon. She called him a quote unpredictable and. violent person, that he was very. troubled. And so there is something. interesting going on here. He's not just. a random stranger. It's her son. But. there is a question in someone who is in. the public eye. Does she say there's not. much more for me to respond to this? You. know, people will make their own. judgments, but she seems to be. suggesting there's a credibility issue. Or does she file a defamation action? I.

mean, there he even there even seemed to. be reference to that recently about, you. know, him making these claims. Is he. prepared for what that response could. be? But again, it's her son. um in. someone in her position in the public. eye, is this something if you were. representing or maybe not even you, but. just generally speaking, do you think. this is something where she's looking at. a civil lawyer and saying, "What are my. options here to respond to what I'm. imagining she's going to claim are false. allegations?" I. >> I think it Yeah, I think if she is, it's. not the right decision. Um this kind of.

story has been out for a while, and she. made her reply to this story years ago. Um, I I don't know if she released his. medical records or she made reference to. his medical records that he had some uh. diagnosis that were consistent with, you. know, being, you know, a troubled kid. Um, I I don't think there's much more to. say on that. And if you really believe. and and you think that he is a troubled.

kid, I don't know you get anywhere. filing a defamation act. It just. prolongs it. It draws it out. it gives. him more of a stage to say that he was. treated unfairly. I I just don't and and. if you're looking kind of to heal the. situation, which I don't know if it's. even possible, I I don't think that's. the solution. And like as a lawyer, it's. funny because people come to me all the. time and there's sometimes there's cases. where, you know, I could make a really. probably good living off of a case where.

they want to sue someone for defamation. or they want to sue someone for. something else and, you know, the case. would go into the well into the six. figures in terms of attorney's fees. But. I just I give the advice sometimes that. it's just not the right way to get. something resolved if that's what you're. looking for. I guess it's kind of like. you always when someone comes into your. office, you always ask them like, "What. does a win look like to you?" I is a. win, you know, some sort of getting back. together at the end of this. Is a win.

getting a money judgment? Is a win. getting an injunction for him never to. talk about it again? But doesn't that. make it worse? Uh that she's saying, "Hey, you know, he's asserting that she. always kept him quiet and then all of a. sudden she plays into it seeking an. injunction to keep him quiet." Uh I. think a win here is exactly what she's. doing in that she's not responding. She. already responded. She said that he's. got, you know, certain psychos uh. psychosis that brings him to these. conclusions that he was abused. And I.

think that's really all all she needs to. do. I wouldn't go further than that. >> Does it does it support his credibility. that this was published or about to be. published? In other words, does a. publisher have a responsibility to fact. check, to do their own research, to do. their own due diligence to make sure. that if they're about to publish what. are, you know, really really going to be. public, arguably salacious claims or. allegations, um, do they have a a duty, a legal obligation to make sure there's.

something to support it because they. have to imagine that they could be the. on the hook for a potential lawsuit. So, I wonder if someone is publishing this. and making these claims in a memoir, does and you know, you're thinking about. the it had to get through the publisher. Does that support his credibility? >> And like I said, it does, but like I. said before, both things can be true, right? It it could be true that um that. these things happened to him. It also.

could be true that there was a reason. these things happened to him in terms of. you know his different psychosis that he. was going through in terms of the type. of abuse or non-abuse that was happening. to the family that put him into this. institute that did all these different. things. None of us were there. So it's. just two individuals really and and I. guess his brothers and sisters. But that. also speaks to whether or not this is a.

valid thing, right? He had older two. older sisters and then he had, you know, I know, I don't know, five other, you. know, brothers and sisters that were all. witnessing these things and none of them. have said anything. You, it's very. difficult to keep everyone quiet, right? So it, you know, Kate would have to be a. magician to say every single one of his. brothers and sisters, none of them are. saying, "Hey, you know, this is what I. perceived happened or what I thought. happened." It's very unusual uh to have.

that happen. So, like I said, I think. his allegations could be true. you know, that he was institutionalized, that, you. know, he was locked in a room, that, you. know, she dragged him across the room by. his hair or his ear or smacked him in. the tush, what all those accusations. could be true. And the question is, does. it amount, in my opinion, does it amount. to a a child abuse because we weren't in. those situations. We don't know really, you know, what the rest of the family.

was going through. But I think it does. speak volumes that none of the other. relatives are essentially saying, "Hey, you know, it happened to me, too." Or, you know, because this kid, the Colin, he's saying, "Oh, I was just the I was. the only troublemaker of the family and. it only happened to me." It's just it's. unusual. It's an unusual situation. I. don't doubt his his veracity for. truthfulness, but the way that he. perceives it could be different. Let me. ask you this before we wrap things up,

and I just it's my legal mind's working. on this. Do you think this is setting up. him filing a lawsuit against his mother, Fairmont Behavioral Health System? Do. you think that this potentially could be. something we should be looking out for? And I don't know if he's going to do it. or not. I don't know if he has a claim. or not. I don't know if he wants to or. not, but it's just as we're talking. about the law, we're talking about. allegations. Got to ask it. So that is the better question whether. or not he would have a lawsuit. Uh the. problem with that is also statute.

limitations. Now there's some statutes. in some states that say you know because. you you were going through it as a child. you weren't sue jurists. Essentially you. you weren't old enough to file your own. lawsuit or you know the these memories. just came to fruition as you got older. and that's why you could sue. There's. some ways that you could kind of fashion. that. The problem with his case is that. he's been making these allegations for, I think, five, six, seven years and.

never filed any lawsuit or never did. anything. I think it would be a. difficult case to get around the statute. of limitations. In some states, you a. smart attorney could could fashion some. way to get around a motion to dismiss, but I really think that the statute of. limitations would be limiting on that. I. think he's writing this book, in my. opinion, is to um attempt to self-heal. and get his story out in writing. When. you see it in writing, it gives him, like you said, some validity. And he.

finally quote unquote has his own voice. I I think that's a an important thing. And I think he was probably he was. probably advised to do it by a. psychiatrist or psychologist to say like. this would be a healing thing for you. Obviously, it's not very healing for. Kate. Uh, but she could come out with. her own book to say like, "Hey, listen. You know, you know, I wasn't the. greatest mom. I wasn't the worst mom. And, you know, I did the best I could as. a single mom with eight kids. And I.

think the dad did the best he could as a. single dad with eight kids. I just think. eight kids is a lot. Anybody who has. children will tell you one is a lot. You. know, two is even more. Eight is just. next level where you're dealing with and. they're all the same age essentially. Um, you know, and the dad's supporting. essentially nine people in the. household. I think there was a lot of. pressure in that family. Not to make. excuses for for wrongdoings, but I think. there was a lot of pressure around. And.

when they're little kids and he's. saying, I felt like we were being taken. advantage of. I mean, the kids five, six. years old, I think that's tough to make. that decision at five or six years old. But I think as they got older, he. realized, listen, I didn't want. everything about my youth being on TV. And I think that also harbored a lot of. animosity. >> I remember when the show was on and to. what we're seeing now. Um it's sad to. see a lot of these things how they've. developed and um what's happened to the. family, but uh we'll continue to monitor.

it, see if there's any legal. developments from it. Um Bradford Cohen, thank you so much for taking the time, sir. Always appreciate it. >> Thanks, Jess. It's all we have for you. right now here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so much for joining us. I'm. Jesse Weber. Speak to you next time.