According to Collin, the isolated area functioned as a containment room equipped with a mattress on the floor, where he would be kept in the dark for hours or days at a time while monitored via security cameras. He stated that he was treated differently from his siblings, kept away from family dinners, and made to take the blame for household tensions. Collin also alleged that when he was 11 years old, Kate had him admitted to a mental health facility under psychiatric diagnoses he claims were false, resulting in a nearly two-year institutional stay.
Collin’s father, Jon Gosselin, supported his son's accounts, stating he was unaware of the basement room until after his divorce from Kate and after he secured custody of Collin in 2018. Jon noted that individuals who later purchased the family's Pennsylvania home confirmed the locked room's continued existence in the basement.
In response to the allegations, an attorney representing Kate Gosselin denied that she intentionally harmed her son, stating that her actions were intended to protect her family from childhood behavioral issues. Previously, Kate and other family members have characterized Collin as having a history of unpredictable behavior and psychiatric challenges, claims that Collin has denied.