Colleen Conrad, Jon Gosselin’s former partner, has publicly backed his son Collin after he made allegations about his childhood, telling him: “I will always be your mom.”
Conrad praised Collin on Instagram after his memoir, In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood, reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list for non-fiction.
“Who would have imagined that all those years ago? I am so incredibly proud of you!” she wrote.
Conrad, who was in a relationship with Jon from 2014 to 2021, said Collin had already endured experiences no child should have faced when he came into her life.
“When you came into my life, you had already been through more than any child should ever have to experience,” she wrote.
In his book, Collin described Conrad as “the mother I needed most”, adding: “Strong men need strong mothers, and I was so fortunate to have mine.”
Responding to those words, Conrad said: “Those words mean more to me than you’ll ever know.”
“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,” she added.
Collin replied: “I love you. I loved that you say you needed me too.” He later wrote: “Sometimes all we need is to know our mom believes in us and it gives us enough faith in ourselves.”
Collin has accused his mother, Kate Gosselin, of horrific abuse during his childhood. She has dismissed the allegations as being linked to his mental illness.
Jon Gosselin has supported his son’s claims and said he wants Kate to face criminal charges. “She needs to stop. He is not mentally ill,” he told Entertainment Tonight, adding that he believed he had grounds to sue her for defamation and libel.
