Kate Gosselin Breaks Her Silence Following Jon and Son Collin's Bombshell Accusations (Exclusive)

Kate Gosselin has weighed in amid continued tensions in her family, alleging that son Collin has received "multiple psychiatric diagnoses" and inpatient psychiatric treatment in response to "unpredictable and violent behavior."

Following accusations made by Kate's ex-husband Jon Gosselin and two of the pair's sextuplets — Collin and Hannah — in Vice TV's Dark Side of the 2000s, one of the exes' eldest children Mady called out her estranged brother, in particular, for his previous actions and the claims he made on the show. Now, Kate, 48, is standing by daughter Mady's initial statement while also shedding light on her alleged past dealings with Collin.

"I have never wanted to have to do this, but I feel I have been backed into a corner and left with no choice. Although it saddens me to do so, I need to speak out now," she tells PEOPLE exclusively. "My son Collin, whom I love with all my heart, has received multiple psychiatric diagnoses over the years. For the safety of myself, his brothers and sisters and for his own well-being, he was placed in a facility following years of outpatient treatment which proved insufficient for his needs." (Read her full statement further down.)

Jon and Collin both have acknowledged in the past that Collin was hospitalized at age 12. In their episode of Vice TV's Dark Side of the 2000s, Jon said he spent $1 million to get Collin out of treatment. He also previously told the Daily Mail in 2019 that Collin had no known diagnosed medical condition at that time other than common ADHD.

Kate told PEOPLE in 2016 that Collin had "special needs." In response, he told Entertainment Tonight last year: "It's unfortunate that that's how my mom, you know, phrased me as a person. You know, I don't see those things and I don't think anybody else sees those things, but if that's how she sees me then, you know, that's her point of view."

Jon, meanwhile, claimed in the Vice TV program that a doctor said there's "no diagnosis yet" and that they're "gonna figure that out.”

Collin, who graduated high school earlier this year and shared his plans to enlist in the Marines, also said on the Vice TV series that family members have cut him off and claimed that his mom had been abusive. Both Jon and Collin have denied that the 19-year-old engaged in violent conduct at any time.

 Kate's full statement follows: 

"I have never wanted to have to do this, but I feel I have been backed into a corner and left with no choice. Although it saddens me to do so, I need to speak out now. 

My son Collin, whom I love with all my heart, has received multiple psychiatric diagnoses over the years. For the safety of myself, his brothers and sisters and for his own well-being, he was placed in a facility following years of outpatient treatment which proved insufficient for his needs. The decision to admit him was made by emergency room doctors following one of his many attacks/outbursts — this one involving his use of a weapon.

Fast forward to the present day, and following Jon’s removal of Collin from treatment, my son’s unpredictable and violent behavior has sadly continued regularly towards Jon, Hannah and others around him. 

Collin's distorted perception of reality is one of the many issues that he has always struggled with. As many people who have family members grappling with mental health issues can attest, it is rarely and sadly surprising when complete fabrications occur, and this is just another heartbreaking facet of this fight. All parent-child relationships are complex, but when mental illness is involved, it is incredibly complicated and painful, let alone easy for others on the outside to understand. 

All measures that were taken in our home were at the explicit recommendation of his pediatric psychiatrist and/or his team of specialists and were put into place to safeguard every member of our family, our friends as well as our family pets. 

Unfortunately, I believe Collin remains a very troubled young man who continues to need a lot of help. His brothers and sisters and I have not been directly involved in his life due to his history of unpredictable behavior and violent tendencies towards us. What his sister Mady posted on social media recently is completely accurate and I deeply appreciate her bravery in doing so. 

This is all I have to say on the matter and I will not be discussing this subject any further at this time." 

In response, Jon, 46, tells PEOPLE, "Regarding these brand new false accusations, it seems clear that even today after not seeing her son since the 6th grade, Kate is unable to control her abusive words towards him. Do not forget that a judge awarded temporary sole legal and physical custody of Collin to his father in 2018. Kate never even showed up to court and never spoke to Collin ever again."

Jon adds, "At this point, Collin is training to be a Marine in order to serve his country and is unable to respond to his mother’s callous lies."

Jon and Kate — who also share 22-year-old Cara as well as fellow sextuplets Alexis, Aaden, Leah and Joel — finalized their divorce in 2009. In the aftermath of their split, the former couple, as well as their many children, have been at odds, even slamming one another in the press.

In Vice TV's latest episode of Dark Side of the 2000s, titled "Jon & Kate Plus 8: Family Circus," Collin claimed his mother "drove a barrier" between the siblings. He also accused Kate of being "abusive" toward him, claiming: "That's kind of the reason why she sent me away. I was starting to tell people what was going on at home and, you know, she caught wind of that and had to put me somewhere where I wouldn’t be able to get the secrets out."

"I don't know who my mom was before TV but I think she was a different person," he added. "I think she has a good heart and she has good intentions, but TV and fame and money changes people."

And despite that, Collin still expressed his "hope" that he and his siblings "can all reconnect and put the show behind us and just be siblings again, you know, and take back that time we didn't have."

As for Jon, he admitted: "I have no access to the kids I'm estranged from."

"I have no idea why they stopped coming. I have no answers. Like, none. It's the worst," he added. "I'd rather it be like, 'You're an asshole,' or, you know, 'I hate you, and you did this to mom,' or something. I have nothing. It's like I have no closure."

But Mady, 22, took issue with Collin's remarks, in particular. She chose to "set the record straight," saying: "I do not owe my allegiance to any person(s) who has physically threatened me and every member of my immediate family (some incidents as recent as last year)."

"Further, I will never allow someone who has exhibited hateful and even violent behavior toward others based on their racial identity, gender identity, or religious beliefs to be in my life. Kindness, tolerance, love, and acceptance are core values in my life and I refuse to compromise them for ANYONE, even my brother Collin, who has unfortunately made his opinions very clear in private," she continued, later stating there's "no further conversation to be had about rebuilding relationships with anyone in my life after reaching the point of physical violence and hate speech."

"I cannot speak any further on why Collin has done these things, just that I have witnessed them," she added, noting that she's asking for "peace and privacy (and no more hate mail) going forward."

In standing by his son, Jon told PEOPLE: "It took courage for Collin to sit down and speak about his past. And the last thing I would have expected was more abuse to come his way from a sibling that hasn’t seen or spoken to him since he was in sixth grade."

"Collin has grown into a wonderful man. I love him and am proud and excited to see him grow into a young US Marine," he added.

Mady later issued another statement on her Instagram Story, saying: "I'm not the authority on what traumas others have experienced, but I am the authority on what I have experienced (and I've reluctantly shared that with you today)."

"To those of you saying my brother was a child who experienced trauma and so I must swiftly forgive and forget, please remember that I was a child too," she continued. "I have empathy for him and what he's been through, but that doesn't erase the trauma I've suffered at his hands."

She added, "We are real people living real lives, not just characters on your TV, which means there is so much you will never know about our lives. There's no need to 'take sides,' please just be kind ❤️" 

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