Son of 'Jon & Kate Plus 8' stars claims he was discharged from the Marines due to his time in a mental health institution
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Gosselin told Fox News Digital that his own reality TV stint was much different than what Alec Baldwin is willingly showing.
Former reality star Collin Gosselin had hopes of becoming a member of the armed forces after enlisting in the Marines when he graduated from high school last year.
But his dreams of serving his country were crushed when it was discovered that the "Jon & Kate Plus 8" star had been previously institutionalized.
When asked if he was officially "in the Marines" yet, Collin told Entertainment Tonight, "not any longer," explaining that the decision was ultimately not his choice.
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Collin Gosselin claimed the Marines kicked him out of training camp due to his history in a mental health institution. (Instagram/Getty Images)
"I was discharged," he said. "It was towards the end of training, very close to graduating. The paperwork was looked into, and they found out that I was in fact in an institution at one point in my life. And, see, they don't need any deeper reason. Being in an institution, that's good enough for it to, you know, discharge.
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"It was the fact that I was in an institution and that's it."
Representatives for the Gosselins, and representatives for the USMC did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Collin (second left) was sent to a mental health facility when he was 12 years old. (Donna Svennevik)
"Jon & Kate Plus 8″ aired on TLC from 2007-09, when the former couple divorced. One year later, the show was rebranded as "Kate Plus 8," which ran until 2017. Following his parents' split, Collin began to act out and rebel during filming, sometimes giving "completely silent interviews" and refusing to interact.
"It was the fact that I was in an institution and that's it."
— Collin Gosselin
Collin was allegedly diagnosed with a behavioral disorder and, at 12-years-old, Kate sent him to the Fairmount Behavioral Health System — a psychiatric hospital located in Philadelphia.
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"I was not able, with my own resources here, to meet his needs," Kate said during an episode of "Kate Plus 8." Meanwhile, "Kate Plus 8" continued to air with the seven other children. Jon claimed he didn't know that Collin had been sent to a behavioral institute until he was eating lunch with the kids one day and Collin was absent.
At the time, Kate had full custody of the children and insisted she didn't have to tell Jon where Collin was because of a court order.
Jon and Kate Gosselin share eight children together. They divorced in 2009. (Amy Sussman/WireImage for Discovery Communications)
Collin claims that his mother institutionalized him in order to "protect her reputation."
"I didn’t know what was going on," he told Entertainment Tonight about being sent away when he was 12 years old. "I didn’t know where I was going. I told all my family this… That was the most scared I’ve probably ever been in my life."
Representatives for Kate did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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Despite being discharged from the Marines, Collin is actively appealing the decision so that he may have a chance to fulfill his dream of serving in the military.
"I have very few other wishes in life that would top being a United States Marine," he said.
Jon Gosselin has maintained a strong relationship with both Collin and Hannah. (Jon Gosselin Instagram)
In the meantime, Collin plans to attend Penn State to major in finance, where he'll also be able to stay close to his father and sister Hannah.
"I'm sure we're gonna miss being around each other, but I think he's looking forward to me going on my own path," Collin said.
In terms of the possibility that Collin could return to reality television again, he said there's "a good possibility," albeit likely not "full time."
Tracy Wright is an entertainment reporter for Fox News Digital. Send story tips to
