It feels like we've known the Gosselin family forever, but it's truly been a long road for Jon Gosselin and his son, Collin. Though there have certainly been a lot of ups and downs for the family — between the reality shows, the custody battles, and the very public fights between Jon and ex Kate Gosselin — Collin and Jon have seemed to stay close through it all, and in 2018, he was even awarded sole physical and legal custody of his son. But now, all of that may be about to change.
Earlier this month, news broke that an investigation had been launched into claims made against Jon accusing him of being abusive to Collin — claims Kate spoke out about publicly. But it's hard to know what the truth really is after everything that's gone on in this family over the years, and until now, it seemed like Jon and Collin had such a close relationship … especially after how hard — and for how long — Jon fought to have full custody of Collin so he could live with him full time in his home.
The situation is still unfolding, but here's everything we know about Collin and Jon's father-son relationship: The good times, the bad, and what's going on right now. Hopefully, Collin is OK and things will work out for the best. In the end, all that truly matters is his safety.
Life on Reality TV
Jon, Collin, and the rest of the family came into the spotlight in a big way with their reality show on TLC, Jon & Kate Plus 8. Famous for their big family — and the fact that Kate gave birth to sextuplets — Collin has spent his entire life in the public eye, and that has certainly contributed to the relationship he and his parents have today.
Jon & Kate's 2009 Divorce
In December 2009, Jon and Kate's divorce was finalized, signaling a new chapter for the family and for Jon's relationship with all of his kids, not just Collin. At that point, Kate had primary custody of their eight children, and the show would go on without Jon on TLC as Kate Plus 8.
2010s: Jon Is Estranged From His Children
After Kate Plus 8 fizzled out and the family wasn't in the spotlight as much anymore, it was hard to say exactly what was going on behind the scenes — especially since Jon and Kate had such different stories. According to Jon, Kate was keeping him from his kids, including Collin, and that's why he was never seen spending time with them.
August 2016: Collin Enters Treatment
When Collin stopped showing up in Kate's social media posts, fans began to question where he was, and finally, Kate revealed to People that Collin — who was 12 at the time — had been sent to a program that would help him with his special needs so he could "learn the skills he needs to be the best him he can be." She claimed that was where he needed to be at the time, but fans were already suspicious.
… and as it turned out, Jon was too.
October 2018: Jon Wants Full Custody
Fewer than two years after Kate publicly revealed Collin's whereabouts, Radar Online reported that Jon had filed for full custody of his son (14 at the time), asking that Collin live with him when he was released from his treatment center. There, he would join his sister, Hannah, who was also living with Jon full time.
Spending Time Together
In the midst of the custody battle for Collin, he went to stay with Jon and Hannah during holiday break, and Jon posted photos of all three of them together at his house in Reading, Pennsylvania. It appeared they were all happy just to see each other, and Jon was continuing his fight for full custody behind the scenes.
Happy To Be With His Dad
During that same break, Collin got his hair cut at his dad's friend's barber shop, and the barber, Eric Rodriguez, later said Collin told him that he was looking forward to coming back for Thanksgiving — and that he was bummed he had to leave in the first place. At this point, it seemed like things were good between Collin and Jon, and that they were looking forward to hopefully making Collin living with his dad a permanent thing.
December 2018: Jon Wins Sole Custody
By the end of the year, Jon not only had sole custody of Hannah but he'd also won the battle for Collin. Jon had sole physical and legal custody of his son — just as he'd wanted — and that meant that his son would be living with him full time, just as he'd hoped. This was the start of a new chapter for their family, though Jon would continue to be estranged from the rest of his kids.
Ringing in the New Year
As 2018 came to a close, Jon and Collin both had a lot to celebrate. Collin seemed to seamlessly fit into the life his dad had built with longtime girlfriend Colleen Conrad, and they seemed like one, big happy family as they celebrated the new year and welcomed 2019 with open arms. Now they'd be able to look forward to the year ahead with a lot less time spent in court.
May 2019: Happy 15th Birthday
In May 2019, Jon shared photos with Hannah and Collin, wishing his sextuplets a happy 15th birthday — even the ones he wasn't able to see for the occasion.
"Happy 15th Birthday Hannah, Collin, Alexis, Aaden, Joel and Leah!!!! Wow I can’t believe you are 15!!!" Jon wrote. "Time is flying by!!! 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!!!"
July 2019: Celebrating the 4th
All seemed to be going well in Jon's family life by summer too, when Jon, Collin, Hannah, and Colleen all celebrated the 4th of July together. Though Collin hadn't been making many social media appearances before he lived with Jon, he did seem really happy with his new living arrangement, and the rest of the family seemed to feel the same way.
August 2019: Family Vacation
Later that summer, Collin joined his family on a trip to Atlantic City to visit Colleen's dad, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves on the beach. Jon was having a particularly good time, writing, "I Love Colleen, I love my kids and I Love my life, my family and my friends. Things are good!!! I really can't complain, I'm truly blessed!!!"
December 2019: Celebrating Christmas
By Christmas 2019 — a full year after Jon had won full custody of Collin — things still seemed to be going well for him and his children. He shared this family photo, featuring Colleen and her kids on Instagram, and interestingly enough, this would be the last photo on his feed that would feature Collin through 2020.
September 2020: Jon Is Reportedly Under Investigation
According to People, Collin reportedly claimed in a since-deleted Instagram post that Jon "beat" him, writing:
"My dad is a liar. Yesterday he beat me up and thought nothing of it, he punched me in the face and gave me a swollen nose and I started bleeding. He then continued to kick me in the ribs after I was on the floor. He is a liar."
This prompted the Berks County Children & Youth Services in Pennsylvania to open an investigation into Collin's claims, just as sources also told People that Collin and Jon had recently gotten into a huge fight that led Collin to throw a bottle of liquid at Jon's car, denting it. Jon allegedly "put him in a headlock, punched him square in the nose, and when Collin fell to the ground, then he kicked him in the ribs."
Jon Denies Collin's Claims
After the news about the alleged abuse broke, Jon's representative issued a statement to Entertainment Tonight denying that Jon had ever hit Collin — and claiming there was no investigation going on whatsoever.
"Jon has never abused Collin. No charges have been filed against him and there’s no ongoing Children & Youth Services investigation," the statement said. "Collin has endured severe trauma. Jon is a loving father who has worked hard to ensure that his son gets the support and help he needs."
Jon Speaks Out
Shortly after news broke about the alleged abuse, Jon spoke to Entertainment Tonight to tell his side of the story. ET was able to obtain a letter from Children & Youth Services showing that the claims against Jon were "unfounded", and according to Jon himself, the investigation was sparked by Collin calling police after their fight "escalated" and Jon had to "restrain" him.
"I've gone to all his therapy sessions," Jon said. "I've put him in school. I've walked him through everything. He's got a job, stuff like that, and Kate hasn't talked to him in five years. I mean, Kate didn't show up for his custody battle when they awarded me sole legal and physical custody."
