Trigger Warning: This article includes discussion of alleged child abuse, with details.
Jon Gosselin compared Kate Gosselin to convicted child abuser Ruby Franke, who rose to prominence through her family YouTube channel, 8 Passengers. He went a step further, suggesting that his ex-wife should face prison time over the allegations their son, Collin, made against her.
Jon Gosselin brings up Ruby Franke while discussing Collin’s memoir
Speaking on the Legally Goff podcast on November 3, Jon said, “[Collin] was abused and the abuser still walks free, and that’s awful.” He further stated, “Ruby Franke did less than what Colin is alleged — he’s saying in his book. And she went to jail for a long time. She just got sentenced. What, 30 years? Four counts of aggravated assault on a minor. It’s like, what is wrong with this world? Why is it different for celebrities?”
Franke is currently behind bars, serving a sentence of four to 30 years at the Utah State Correctional Facility. She and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, both pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse in December 2023. The two were sentenced in February 2024. Authorities found that two children in their custody had suffered malnutrition and neglect. One child had also sustained serious wounds after being tied up with rope and duct tape, reports kutv2news.
The Jon & Kate Plus 8 alum also revealed he is working with lawyers to explore potential legal action against Kate. In his memoir, In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood, released on October 13, Collin recounted his experiences growing up in the Gosselin household. The 22-year-old also spoke about being sent to a mental health facility in 2016.
Speaking to Good Morning America before the memoir’s launch, he said, “Simply put, my whole life that I lived was a lie. All the things you see on TV are lies. I couldn’t talk about what went on in the home, and now I finally can.”
Jon & Kate Plus 8 aired for 11 seasons from 2007 to 2017. The series followed Jon and his then-wife, Kate, as they raised their eight children. Following their 2009 divorce, the show continued as Kate Plus 8. The series first aired on Discovery Health before moving to TLC. During its run, it became one of TLC’s highest-rated programs.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
