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Collin Gosselin he publicly accused his mother, Kate Gosselinof physical, emotional and psychological abuse, detailing his experiences in his memoir. The former “Jon & Kate Plus 8” star has denied that she abused her son, citing his allegations of mental health problems. Now, years after the family made headlines with their reality show, a former nanny who worked for the Gosselins is speaking out about her brief time in their home.
Kate Gosselin’s Ex-Nanny Said The Matriarch Was “Downright Evil”
After the publication of Collin Gosselin’s memoir, “In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood,” one of Kate Gosselin’s former nannies talks about her experience working in the reality star’s home and supports Collin’s allegations.
Ashley H. worked as a fill-in nanny for the family sometime in 2013, and she said PEOPLE that what viewers saw on TV was far from what she saw. Ashley said Kate had a strict “house manual” for staff and the home seemed “always uninhabitable.” At the time, Kate had already divorced Jon Gosselin and had custody of their eight children.
Regarding Kate’s treatment of the children, she said, “I didn’t understand how someone could be so evil, absolutely evil and so evil to their own children.
The Nanny Claims Collin is handled differently
Ashley claims that Kate showed inexplicable hostility towards Collin, and she treated him differently compared to her sisters.
“She was 110 percent abusive to Collin. It’s almost hard to describe the particular hatred she had for Collin. You could feel it. I saw her grab Collin many times,” she said. The former nanny said Kate did it “all the time,” adding that she often “burst[ped] he straight out of his chair in the kitchen.”
In his memoir, Collin claims his mother kept him isolated in an unfinished basement. He also describes physical violence, including having his ears pulled, being beaten, and being pulled by a shirt.
The now 22-year-old believes the alleged abuse was linked to his refusal to take part in the family’s reality show.
Kate Gosselin was reportedly showing favoritism
Ashley recalled that the home had to be spotless “always,” saying Kate “wouldn’t let the kids do anything.” She said the kids weren’t allowed to leave their toys and things outside, saying they couldn’t “live” freely in the house.
In addition, she claims that Kate had rules regarding the children’s school clothes, noting that they only wore one of two outfits for the whole week “because it would cause too much laundry”.
Based on Ashley’s observation, Kate was “robotic” towards her children and to her, it was obvious that she preferred some children over others. “She told a lot about who was their favorite, who wasn’t, who was disappointed,” she said.
The Nanny called Child and Youth Services on Kate
Ashley shared an example when she stumbled upon a large red plastic spoon inside the children’s school supplies drawer. When she asked why it was there, one of the sextuplets, Alexis, told her, “Oh, that’s the spoon that mommy uses when she’s mad.
The former nanny worked for Kate for six months before she left, but not before contacting Children and Youth Services (CYS). “I know for a fact that I’m not the only one who did that,” she said, adding that she is now sharing her experience to support Collin and support his claims of abuse.
Collin says about 14 CYS and Child Protective Services (CPS) reports were made, but when workers went to their home, he was too afraid to say anything because of the consequences. “I stayed careful. In the end, I knew I did what was expected. I did well enough to keep the peace,” he said.
Kate Gosselin claims Collin struggles with mental health
Amid the allegations, Kate has maintained that she did not abuse Collin. She responded to a post on social media by writing, “Anyone who has dealt with mental illness will understand what is going on here,” referring to her son’s claims.
Regarding Collin’s placement in a behavioral institution shortly before his 12th birthday, Kate said it was medically necessary due to his violent behavior and multiple psychiatric diagnoses. However, her ex-husband, Jon Gosselin, has disputed her claims, citing independent psychiatric evaluations that he says contradict her statement.
Jon, along with Collin and his sister Hannah, will appear in a Netflix documentary to share their stories.
