Kate Gosselin is under scrutiny for her recent and last year’s celebration of her sextuplets’ birthdays. Netizens noticed that the reality star appeared to shun two of her estranged sextuplets, leading to criticism.
Kate Gosselin, the former reality star of “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” has, once again, taken to her Instagram account to celebrate the birthdays of some—but not all—of her sextuplets. In response, some netizens slammed her for ignoring the two who live with their father.
In May 2024, Kate’s sextuplets—sons Aaden Jonathan, Collin Thomas, and Joel Kevin, and daughters Alexis Faith, Hannah Joy, and Leah Hope Gosselin—turned 20. Their mother joyfully marked the occasion by posting on Instagram about the birthdays of four of them.
She uploaded a picture of the quartet posing around their birthday cake, which featured two lit candles shaped like the number “20.” Her sons stood and smiled while their sisters sat close to the cake.
Kate captioned the post by noting another milestone, “No more teenagers in this house! Happy 20th birthday, my forever babies! I love you! Who feels old? I know I do! #20yearsold #ItsaPICKLE 🎁🎉🎈🎊.”
When the siblings turned 21 in 2025, the reality star returned with another post. This time, she shared a carousel featuring four images. The first photo showed her clinking glasses with the birthday boys and girls who were seated around a restaurant table.
Fans also saw a close-up of the girls posing and a clear picture of their colorful chocolate birthday cake, which was decorated with various candies. Kate wrote, “And just like that, they turned 21! Happy Birthday to my 6! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ #GosselinSextuplets.”
This time, she seemed to acknowledge Collin and Hannah Gosselin, who live with their father and Kate’s ex-husband, Jon Gosselin. Still, her post still raised questions. Responding to the absence of the two siblings in Kate’s 2024 post, one individual asked, “Where is Hanna and Joel. [sic] Are you guys really that bitter and harsh??”
However, one of the boys in the picture was Joel, so the commenter likely meant Collin. Responding to the same post, another person asked, “How doesn’t it break your ❤️ [sic] to only be able to celebrate with 4 out of your 6, sextuplets?” They added, “Sometimes, I don’t understand people.”
Another individual mentioned Collin, saying, “As someone who was in a mental health facility as a child; my mom visited me every. Single. Day. [sic] I will never be able to understand or comprehend how you could send him to another state. There’s no excuse period. They were all your children. They were all your babies.”
Another netizen remarked, “How unkind to your other two sextuplets for you to post this. Don’t do this to them. They don’t deserve it.” Another critic exclaimed, “Shame on you Kate! Where is your conscience! What you did to Colin s terrible!!! [sic]”
Criticism continued with one person writing, “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you. Shame on you for parent and child alienation! The other 2 are so much better without you. Thriving and so much happier. I’d say reflect on this Mothers Day but you won’t change. [sic]” Another simply asked, “Where’s the rest???[sic]”
As some netizens pointed out, before Collin moved in with his father, by the time he was 12, his mother had already placed him in a program. The institution reportedly aimed to help him reach his full potential.
In 2016, Kate spoke about him, explaining, “Collin has special needs. [There’s] a fairly fluid diagnosis of what those needs are, but he needs to learn certain strategies to help him deal with things.”
She continued, “This has been a struggle we’ve had for a very long time, and it’s one I’ve dealt with on my own. I’ve felt very alone in this. By the same token, it’s not something that has only impacted me or him – our entire family has been impacted.”
The “Kate Plus Date” star revealed that her son was in a program designed to help him acquire the skills “he needs to be the best him he can be.” She said the family missed him and felt a huge gap without him, though they found comfort knowing he was where he needed to be.
The reality star compared her experience to parents missing their children when they go to college. She explained that in both cases, parents reassure themselves by focusing on the benefits for their children.
Kate concluded, “And that’s the same sort of investment I feel like I’ve made [in] Collin’s future.” Two years later, Collin’s father expressed his feelings after gaining temporary custody of the then-14-year-old, who had spent more than two years in the special needs program.Speaking at a WE tv panel, Jon described the court ruling as a significant victory and emphasized the legal battle’s difficulty and length. Although Collin hadn’t officially moved in yet, his father confirmed they had arranged several home visits to prepare for the transition.
This arrangement was made to facilitate the teenager’s move, as he had expressed a strong desire to live with his father. Jon mentioned that his daughter Hannah, who already lived with him full-time, was especially happy about being reunited with her brother.
The reality star admitted to feeling nervous about raising two teenagers but said he embraced the challenge. By 2017, both Hannah and Collin were spending increasing amounts of time with their father, while the other Gosselin children remained distant.
Although Jon respected their decision, he hoped the sibling bonds would remain intact. The custody change followed years of public controversy over Collin’s placement in a facility by his mother.
Kate defended her decision, saying it was made based on medical advice. She claimed it was crucial for Collin’s educational and social development. However, Jon criticized the lack of communication about their son’s location and later cited an abuse allegation made during his institutionalization.
Although Kate never publicly addressed the investigation, Jon hoped their son’s return home would start a more peaceful chapter. In 2024, however, old wounds resurfaced with new allegations against Kate.
At 20 years old, Collin spoke publicly for the first time about the alleged physical and emotional abuse he suffered from his mother during and after filming “Jon and Kate Plus 8.” In an emotional interview, he gave gory details about his alleged abuse
Collin also recalled being institutionalized abruptly at age 11 for behavioral issues he claimed were fabricated. He shared medical records showing he has no current psychiatric disorders, contradicting earlier diagnoses from the facility.
