Colleen Conrad praised Collin, who is currently in boot camp.
Collin Gosselin's being hailed as an accomplished young man whose "character deserves praise" amid "unfounded accusations" from his estranged family.
The strong words of support come from Jon Gosselin's ex, Colleen Conrad, who took to Instagram on Friday and posted a lengthy caption praising Collin for his sheer determination to turn his life around and get one step closer to becoming a U.S. Marine. Colleen, who dated Jon for nearly seven years before their 2021 split, said she felt compelled to run to Collin's defense after his estranged mother and sister -- Kate Gosselin and Mady Gosselin -- accused Collin of threatening behavior.
"I recently learned of derogatory statements made about Collin Gosselin and felt compelled to defend him. These statements were made by family members who have been estranged from his life since he was 12," Jon's ex began her post. "Collin is not only someone I love dearly but has also been a significant figure in my family’s life. He is currently at boot camp for the Marines and he's unable to defend himself."
Colleen, whose post included a collage of photos with Collin taken over the years, said that even after she and Jon split in 2021, Collin lived with her until he turned 18.
"[S]o I saw him every day. He thrived and was always kind and respectful," she continued. "He never talked back to me. He was never violent and is far from being considered dangerous. He is there for me when I need him, even bringing me white roses every time he visits."
Colleen then went on to list Collin's accomplishments, such as achieving a 4.0 GPA and earning top honors at his ROTC banquet for having the group's highest GPA.
"Collin's dream to join the Marines seemed impossible given his background, but he never gave up," Colleen wrote. "He went off all medication two years ago and continued to thrive in school and working jobs. He sought private psychiatric evaluations as an adult that disproved all the previous diagnoses. It was his determination that led him to the Marines, where he's now fulfilling his dream. He wouldn't be there if he hadn't proved those diagnoses wrong."
She says she remains in contact with Collin via letters he writes while he's in boot camp. She says he's told her boot camp is challenging "but he is happy and proud to be there."
"He is a testament to strength and courage, and I am honored to have him in my life," Colleen wrote in closing. "Collin will always be part of my family, and I'll support him, no matter what comes our way. That's what family does. The truth about Collin's character deserves praise, not unfounded accusations from those estranged from his life."
Colleen's post comes just weeks after Mady accused Collin of violent behavior.
"I never wanted to have to speak up about this in order to allow my brother the ability to live privately after the conclusion of our family's TV show, but I've been overwhelmed by hate messages in the last few days and I feel I must set the record straight," Mady began her post. "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 towards others based [on] their racial identity, gender identity, or religious beliefs to be in my life."
Kate then doubled down, saying her 19-year-old son "remains a very troubled young man."
In a statement to ET, Jon called out his ex-wife, claiming she was "posting cruel false accusations regarding Collin" in an alleged effort to "justify her inexcusable horrific past behavior toward him."
"True love for a child wouldn't include a mother attacking their son to the public," he said. "Collin had to be cleared by the Marines with a full background check including mental, physical and medical clearance through the US Marine Corps. The government's full diagnoses clearly reflects the truth."
Jon and Kate share eight children. Collin is part of a set of 19-year-old sextuplets -- Aaden, Alexis, Hannah, Joel, and Leah -- while 22-year-old Mady has a twin sister, Cara.
Collin is estranged from his mom after he was institutionalized for behavioral issues as a child. After Jon got Collin out of the facility, the teen, along with his sister, Hannah, went to live with Jon. Neither Collin nor Hannah have a relationship with their fellow sextuplets or older sisters.
In November 2022, Collin spoke with ET about his estrangement from mom Kate after he was institutionalized.
"After being there, I didn't have a relationship with her," Collin said of his mother. "Even before that, I don't think we had much of a relationship because of TV and what being in the public eye does to your family. I think it pulled us apart."
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