Jon Gosselin’s wife, Stephanie Lebo, has praised her stepson, Collin, for his tell-all memoir, detailing his alleged abusive childhood at the hands of his mother, Kate Gosselin.
“Collin, you are changing the world, and I hope you truly understand that,” she wrote in an Instagram post shared Friday. “You turned some of the darkest chapters of your life into something that will help others. You spent so many years fighting to be heard, and now the world is listening.
“You are kind, smart, strong, and incredibly loved. You are SEEN. You are HEARD. And most importantly, you no longer have to prove anything to anyone. You never had to earn love, kindness, or a place to belong. You always deserved them. ❤️”.
Lebo, 39, added that an “entire village” stands behind Collin and that she is “beyond honored to be a part of it.”
“Keep shining, Collin. The world is listening and I couldn’t be more proud of you! 🥹❤️,” she concluded. “I love you…WE ALL love you.”
The missive was accompanied by photos of Collin holding his book, a screenshot of his book on the New York Times bestseller list, and his signed copy.
Lebo married Jon, 49, in 2025.
“In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood” was released earlier this month, in which Collin claimed his mother was physically and emotionally abusive throughout his childhood.
Collin, 22, starred in the TLC reality series “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” which ran between 2007 and 2017. The show followed his parents as they raised their 8 children — a pair of twins and sextuplets, including Collin. The couple separated in 2009.
Kate vehemently denied the allegations and implied that Collin suffered from mental illness.
Collin has been estranged from his mother since 2016, when she sent him to live in a behavioral health facility at age 11 for alleged behavioral issues.
Jon finally gained legal and physical custody of Collin in 2018 after removing him from the facility.
Collin and another sextuplet, Hannah, have lived with their father for several years. He hasn’t spoken to his other siblings in 10 years.
“I love them very much and I want them to know that what was done to us when we were children is not normal,” he shared with Page Six earlier this month.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the National Child Abuse Hotline at 800-422-4453.
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