Collin Gosselin is ready to speak his truth like never before.
On Wednesday, the former reality TV star announced he’s written a memoir titled In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood. It’ll hit shelves on October 13. Teasing just how candid this will be, he shared on Instagram:
“For a long time, I wasn’t sure I’d ever tell this story. Growing up, millions of people watched my life on television. People felt like they knew me. They knew my family. They watched me grow up. But there was so much they never saw. For years, I kept those experiences to myself. Some because I was afraid. Some because I didn’t think anyone would believe me. And some because I just wasn’t ready.
Writing this book forced me to revisit some of the hardest moments of my life, but it also gave me something I’ve been searching for for a long time: my voice. This isn’t the story people think they know. It’s the story I’ve lived.”
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Alongside a montage of childhood photos set to Noah Kahan‘s Willing and Able, he added:
“This is not a story for entertainment, it is a story to instill responsibility in everyone to advocate and speak up against abuse, injustice, and the exploitation of children. I not only poured my heart into this book for my younger self, but for ALL who have faced unfair and outright heinous acts as children. I am your voice. I stand with you. CG”
In a further statement to Us Weekly, Collin added:
“Now, finally, I’m sharing what was really happening behind the scenes. This book is about truth, survival, resilience and finding my voice after years of being silenced. If my story helps even one person feel less alone or gives them the courage to tell their own, then every difficult page was worth writing.”
In the book’s description, his publisher hinted at some of the dark revelations he’ll open up about — and we do mean dark! They detailed:
“Collin is finally sharing the truth about being held down, the basement cell where he was hidden for years and the cocktail of powerful antipsychotics forced on an 11-year-old boy.”
OMG. Awful.
They continued:
“This is a reckoning with the dark side of fame: the systems, the entourage, and the institutions that allowed one boy to be erased.”
Oof.
The dramatic cover also really highlights where this story is going. It features a throwback photo of a young Collin as his mouth is covered by his mother Kate‘s hand as she looks down upon him angrily. Jeez. Take a look:
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Collin has been estranged from Kate and most of his siblings, except his sister Hannah. Trouble really began in 2016 when he was sent to a behavioral health institution. After leaving the program, he moved in with his dad Jon in 2018. In recent years, he’s grown more open about his difficult childhood, and now it seems he’s finally ready to share all of his truth. We’re sure this is going to be a bombshell of a book!
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Thoughts??
[Image via Joel Ginsburg/WENN & Entertainment Tonight/YouTube]
