Former reality TV star Collin Gosselin graduated from high school last year and enlisted in the Marines, expressing his desire to join the military.
But his dreams of serving his country were dashed when it emerged the “Jon & Kate Plus 8” star had previously been institutionalized.
When asked if he was officially a “Marine,” Collin said, Tonight’s Entertainment, “Not anymore,” he said, explaining that the decision was ultimately not his choice.
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Collin Gosselin claimed the Marines kicked him out of boot camp because of his history of psychiatric hospitalization. (Instagram/Getty Images)
“I got discharged,” he said. “Towards the end of my training, I was close to graduating. I looked through my paperwork and it turned out I’d been institutionalized at some point in my life. And they didn’t need a deeper reason than that. Just being institutionalized was enough to get you discharged.”
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“The fact that I was in the facility, that’s it.”
Representatives for the Gosselins and the U.S. Marine Corps did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Colin (second from left) was committed to a psychiatric hospital at age 12. (Donna Svenevik)
“Jon & Kate Plus 8” aired on TLC from 2007 to 2009, before the former couple divorced. A year later, the show ended. “Kate Plus 8” The show aired until 2017. After his parents’ divorce, Colin began to behave rebelliously during filming, sometimes giving “totally silent interviews” and refusing to interact.
“The fact that I was in the facility, that’s it.”
Collin was reportedly diagnosed with a behavioral disorder, and at age 12, Kate had him committed to Fairmount Behavioral Health System, a psychiatric hospital in Philadelphia.
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“It was not in my power to meet his demands,” Kate said in an episode of “Kate Plus 8,” while “Kate Plus 8” continued airing with seven other children. Jon claimed he didn’t know Collin had been sent to a behavioral health facility because while eating lunch with his kids one day, he noticed Collin was absent.
At the time, Kate had full custody of the children and claimed that a court order meant she didn’t have to tell Jon where Collin was.
Jon and Kate Gosselin have eight children together. They divorced in 2009. (Amy Sussman/WireImage via Discovery Communications)
Collin claims his mother placed him in an institution to “protect her reputation.”
“I didn’t know what was going on,” he told Entertainment Tonight about being deported at age 12. “I didn’t know where I was going. I told my whole family about it… It was probably the scariest time of my life.”
A representative for Kate did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Despite being discharged from the Marines, Collin is actively appealing the decision in hopes of getting a chance to fulfill his dream of serving in the military.
“There are few aspirations in life greater than becoming a United States Marine,” he said.
Jon Gosselin maintains strong relationships with both Collin and Hannah. (Jon Gosselin Instagram)
Meanwhile, Collin plans to attend Pennsylvania State University and major in finance, where he’ll be close to his father and sister, Hannah.
“We’ll miss each other, but I think he’s excited for me to go my own way,” Collin said.
As for the possibility of Collin returning to reality TV, he said that while it might not be “full-time”, it’s “a strong possibility”.
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