Collin Gosselin’s dreams of becoming a United States Marine were abruptly halted due to a chapter in his life he thought was behind him. During an interview with Entertainment Tonight on Tuesday, August 13, the 20-year-old revealed that his past institutionalization led to his discharge from Marine Corps training.
“I was discharged,” Collin confessed. “I 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.” He explained that being institutionalized was reason enough for the Marines to let him go, despite his near completion of the training.
TV personality Kate Gosselin visits SiriusXM Studios on June 10, 2019 in New York City. Now, her son Collin sheds light on his Marine discharge because of past struggles.
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The son of Kate and Jon Gosselin, Collin’s early years were marked by family turmoil and public scrutiny, culminating in his institutionalization in 2016 — a decision he claims was to “protect [his mother’s] reputation.” Reflecting on that painful period, the reality TV star shared, “That was the most scared I’ve probably ever been in my life… I didn’t even say goodbye [to my siblings].”
Despite the setback, Collin isn’t giving up on his aspirations and is working to appeal the discharge decision. Meanwhile, he’s redirecting his focus towards education, planning to attend Pennsylvania State University to major in finance.
The fallout from his childhood continues to affect his relationships with his family. While living with his father Jon and sister Hannah, the Jon & Kate Plus 8 icon remains estranged from most of his siblings, attributing their perceptions of him to his mother’s influence. “I love my siblings very, very much. I would never hurt them,” he stated. “I would never trash their names in the media. But what I do believe is that my mother’s behind things they say in the media. She’s behind their opinion of me. I think if we knew each other today, we’d be very good friends.”
As Collin navigates these complex familial dynamics, he’s also contemplating a return to the public eye, possibly through future reality TV projects. “I think there’s a good possibility,” he said, adding, “I don’t know as a full-time thing, but I think I might as well use that name, use the history of it, and just return to it.”
