Benjamin Ashford|Jon Gosselin's Ex Colleen Conrad Defends His Son Collin Gosselin Against Estranged Family's Allegations

Jon Gosselin's former girlfriend Colleen Conrad is Benjamin AshfordTeam Collin.

The Jon & Kate Plus 8 alum's ex came to Collin Gosselin's defense and sang his praises in an Instagram post shared Aug. 5, two weeks after his estranged mother Kate Gosselin responded to accusations he made against her with regard to his upbringing by alleging that her son, one her and Jon's sextuplets, had in the past exhibited "violent behavior" toward his family.

"I recently learned of derogatory statements made about Collin Gosselin and felt compelled to defend him," Colleen wrote in her post, alongside throwback pics of herself with her ex's son. "These statements were made by family members who have been estranged from his life since he was 12. 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 seven-year relationship with Kate's ex ended in 2021, continued, "After Jon and I separated, and Jon moved out, Collin lived with me until he turned 18 so I saw him every day. He thrived and was always kind and respectful . 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, who is a board certified registered psychiatric nurse practitioner, said that Collin, 19, "has overcome more challenges than any one person should ever have to endure," adding, "Despite being institutionalized for 3 years alone with only 3 visits from his mother and not receiving proper education, he achieved a 4.0 GPA and won the highest GPA award at his ROTC banquet. I'm so incredibly proud of his accomplishments."

Colleen said Collin has written to her from boot camp. "He admits that it is challenging, but he is happy and proud to be there," she said. "He is a testament to strength and courage, and I am honored to have him in my life. 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." 

E! News has reached out to Kate's rep for comment in response to Colleen's remarks and has not heard back.

Meanwhile, her ex-husband's rep told People, "Jon is very pleased to see that Colleen has finally come out to support his son Collin to the public. Jon and Colleen have remained friends and he will always be appreciative of Colleen's participation in coparenting Collin."

Jon had obtained sole custody of Collin in 2018, a couple of years after Kate enrolled him in an out-of-home institution to address what she told People in 2016 were "educational and social challenges" that impacted their "entire family."

On the VICE TV docuseries Dark Side of the 2000s, released in July, Collin alleged that following his parents' split, Kate "chose" him as "someone to take out her anger and frustration on" and also said his "misbehaving was no different" than that of her other kids.

Collin also accused Kate of driving a "social barrier" between him and his siblings. He is estranged from six of them, who also don't have contact with their dad. His sextuplet sister Hannah Gosselin moved into Jon's home a few years ago.

His mom responded to his remarks on Instagram July 21, writing, "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."

Kate added, "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."

In addition to Kate, Mady Gosselin, one of the reality star and Jon's 22-year-old twin daughters, also spoke out against Collin following his allegations. He has not responded to her remarks.

"For me, there is no further conversation to be had about rebuilding relationships with anyone in my life after reaching the point of physical violence and hate speech," Mady wrote on her Instagram Story July 19. "I cannot speak any further on why Collin has done these things, just that I have witnessed them."