When it comes to Kate Gosselin and her family, no one really knows what is going on behind closed doors. All fans see is what the former reality television star wants to show. After all, she’s the kind of person who loves to control her public image. She wants the world to think that yes, she can raise all of her eight children on her own, take care of her house, have a career, and look as good as she now does. But as many of her fans and critics know, there’s more to Kate Gosselin than meets the eye.

With that being said, a lot of people can’t help but wonder what is going on with her son, Collin Gosselin. All we know is that he has special needs and has been “sent away” from the rest of the family to take care of those needs. Kate has refused to elaborate or tell the world what is really going on with Collin, making everything even more suspicious. To add to the Gosselin family troubles, even dad Jon doesn’t know about Collin’s whereabouts or what is really going on.

Here are 15 things that we’ve learned so far about Collin Gosselin and what Kate is doing right here.

15 Reality Television Isn’t For Him

Now, everyone knows by now that reality television isn’t for everyone. There’s a reason why so many people and their shows get canceled after the first season. But with Kate Gosselin, being a reality television star is her bread and butter. With so many kids under her roof, she has no choice but to milk any show or promotional opportunity that she can get her hands on. Unfortunately, being in front of reality television cameras might not be all that suitable for her kids, though. There have been reports indicating that Collin had a hard time sitting still for interviews and cooperating with producers and crew while TLC was filming episodes inside their home.

One source told Hollywood Gossip, “Collin had such bad issues that he refused to get his picture taken at school. He's tired of being on-camera."

Now, we would hate to think that Kate Gosselin sent her son off simply because he was refusing to cooperate with her reality television and celebrity plans. This, of course, has never been confirmed. But at the same time, it doesn’t look like Collin was very cooperative with her at home, and that might have been the biggest problem for her.

14 Will He Ever Come Home?

Collin Gosselin hasn’t been in the family picture for several years now. For fans and critics, it’s a very worrying situation. A lot of people believe that Collin should go back home, just so he can enjoy the same stability, love, and support that the rest of his siblings are getting. But unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that will happen anytime soon.

Even Kate’s sister Kendra has said that although she has been trying for years, it’s really hard to get through to Kate. Apparently, Kate also doesn’t have much of an inner circle. Kendra told the Daily Mail, “My sister-in-law Jodi and I get talking about the past and we don’t understand what she’s thinking. When the kids get old enough are they going to come and try to find us? I hope so. What are we going to tell them? We’ll have to tell them we tried to get hold of their mom, we tried to be part of their life, but we weren’t allowed to be."

We didn’t leave her, she left us. I send a Christmas card every year, but I never hear anything. It’s hard, it’s really, really hard. I don’t know why. It’s terrible because my children, their cousins, talk about them and wish they could see them. We have our memories from years ago, but we have no contact,” she also said.

13 His Special Needs

To this very day, Kate Gosselin has refused to specify what kind of special needs her son Collin Gosselin has. All we know is that he’s been problematic for several years and that unfortunately, Kate has had a hard time trying to control the issue on her own. That’s why she made the decision to send him “away.”

The only problem with that is that no one knows where he is, what he is doing, who is with, or when he will come home for that matter. Kate is refusing to divulge in any additional details.

Understandably, many people have questions. They want to know what Kate Gosselin is doing and if she is making the right decisions.

"Collin has special needs," mom Kate told People Magazine late last year. "[There's] a fairly fluid diagnosis of what those needs are, but he needs to learn certain strategies to help him deal with things. 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."

12 It Was Never Easy On Kate

Let’s face it, raising eight children on your own is not easy. Heck, raising even two or three children as a single parent can suck the life out of anyone. And with Kate, she doesn’t get much help. It’s not easy for her.

She’s trying to keep her boat afloat, so to speak. But at times, it does feel like it’s sinking on her. Yet despite everything that has been said about her (or what people think about her), Kate refuses to drown. She also refuses to let go of her 15 minutes of fame.

That’s why she’s still doing what she’s doing, and ultimately making headlines and the cover of magazines with her family.

Kate once said, “I've learned to deal with stress. In fact, things that would make the next person go over a cliff don't even make my radar anymore. I realize that life isn't perfect - it can't be perfect. I can drive myself nuts trying to make it perfect, or I can just have a lot of fun with the kids. I'm still breathing because I have faith. My faith and my kids are the two things that matter. When you think life is tough, it can get a lot tougher.”

11 Rumors About Kate

Now, we don’t want to go on the record and make any accusations about Kate Gosselin and the things that she has done as a parent. But truth be told, there have been a lot of reports that have put Kate’s parenting skills into question. If that wasn’t enough, there have also been photos and videos of Kate doing things that have put her in the line of fire with her critics. And now some people believe that Kate might have taken things a little too far with her son Collin.

There are people who think Kate is a great mom, while others have nothing but horrible things to say about her. With that being said, we can spend the entire day debating whether Kate is a qualified parent or not. But at the same time, things have happened that have even made her fans question some of the decisions she’s made. And not all of them have been good.

Speaking about what she could have done differently as a mom years ago, Kate told People Magazine, “If I could go back, I wouldn’t spend so much time worrying about the messes and the obsessive-compulsiveness and needing to be so in control. I would spend more time nibbling little feet and cuddling up. I worried about so many things I just didn’t need to be worrying about.”

10 Kate’s Control Issues

We’ve said this before and we will say it again: Kate Gosselin is a very special human being.

Simply put, it’s either her way, or the high way. There’s no in between. You do it the way she wants it done, or she will chew you and spit you out like a stale piece of bread.

I mean, we’ve all seen that clip of Kate freaking out over a pizza order, right? That’s just the kind of person she is.

If that wasn’t enough, even Kate’s children have become involved in their parents’ divorce drama. Maddy, who is a teenager, recently talked some real smack about her dad Jon.

She told People Magazine, “Here’s how I feel about this. This year I’m going to turn 16. I’m going to be learning to drive, taking the PSATs, thinking about college… so much is going on in my life. And the last thing I have time for is a toxic relationship. He makes it seem like we’re being kept from him, which is insane. He should maybe spend some time thinking about why we don’t want to see him, and maybe realize that if he ever does want a relationship with us, talking about us on TV is not the way to make that happen. He doesn’t even know us – how can he dare talk about us?”

9 Troubles Post-Divorce

Yes, people get divorced every day. Yes, people argue, they have bitter fights, and they try to ruin one another during the separation process. But at the same time, there are plenty of people who have managed to cool down the flames and work together as a team, even though they are no longer married. That hasn’t been the case for Jon and Kate Gosselin.

Kate refuses to co-parent with Jon. For years, she has been pushing him out of the picture or giving him little to no access to their children. All of these issues and the drama surrounding the two of them have definitely taken a toll on their kids, especially on Collin Gosselin.

According to In Touch Weekly, Kate wrote in her 2010 memoir, "I Just Want You To Know, At two and a half, you began testing and trying my parenting at every chance. I called Daddy at work many days crying because you would not obey. I had to ask you every day, 'Who's in charge here: you or me?' You would reluctantly answer, 'You are.' As you have grown, this has not changed. You continue to be determined to do what you want to do, and I continue to try to rein you in."

8 Kate Keeps Him Out of Photos

Here’s another troubling factor behind the disappearance of Collin Gosselin: a lot of people have noticed that Kate even keeps Collin out of family pictures. Whenever she does any promotional work for a high profile magazine or publication, Collin is left out. She doesn’t even post photos of him on her social media pages. And now everyone is asking the same questions: why is Kate refusing to show Collin’s face to the world?

But shutting people out is something that Kate apparently does best. Kate’s own sister Kendra Wilber has even ratted her out to the tabloids by admitting that the reality star doesn’t keep in touch with her family. She told the Daily Mail, “Kate does not speak to her family at all. It is very painful’, she said. ‘In the past the people who were close to her were the people who were making money from her and we thought that was very dangerous. The last time we saw and spoke with her it was in our church parking lot. That was years ago, I have lost track of time. I guess we weren’t totally on board with what was going on with the kids, I guess we weren’t excited enough for her and were concerned about her family."

She also added: "Years later the divorce came about and we had every right to be. But there was no conversation and no argument. I guess we have our own life and she wants a big life and we don’t fit in. We are just normal everyday people and she doesn’t want us to be part of her life.”

7 Even Jon Didn’t Know What Was Going On

It has to be really difficult to be a parent and not know the whereabouts of your own children. For some people, that is their worst nightmare. But for Jon Gosselin, it’s his everyday reality.

Because his ex Kate has refused to share any details about Collin with him, Jon has been mostly kept in the dark. He knows nothing. Even he didn’t know what was going on with Collin or what kind of special needs he has had for that matter.

At one point, Jon Gosselin wanted to have full custody of their eight children. He told In Touchy Weekly back in 2014, “They live in fear of Kate. Every time I see them, they tell me they want to live with me. First, I’m going to file for an emergency petition for contempt … The next step is to fight for custody.”

“It’s the only way I can protect the younger six. Regardless of what the judge decides, I have to at least try. I just wish Kate would wake up, realize how she’s behaving — and change her ways,” he also added.

6 Jon Was Desperate To Be Involved

Jon might have been pushed to the side by his ex-wife Kate Gosselin, but at the same time, he has been desperate to be involved in his children’s lives after the divorce. After all, he is their biological father. And there is no denying that he loves each and every child, the same way Kate does. As a result of their bitter divorce and even bitter life after their separation, Jon hasn’t been as involved as he’s wanted to be.

Kate isn’t the kind of person who will accommodate anyone else, and not even if it’s just a little bit. That’s what has been making life very difficult for Jon Gosselin. He has no idea what his family is doing at all.

One source close to the situation told In Touch Weekly back in 2016, “She controls everything, it's her way or the highway when it comes to the kids, including Collin. When he saw that Kate left Collin out of Halloween, that his son was missing yet another family celebration Jon broke down and cried. He hates that she's doing this to Collin and feels so helpless to stop her. He's praying that the judge will side with him at their next custody hearing."

5 But Jon Is Seeing Him Now

Now, we don’t know what has happened or how this has happened, but apparently, Jon is now seeing his son Collin on a regular basis. It’s a good thing, because there’s no denying that Collin is a boy who needs both of his parents in his life.

From what we can tell, Collin looks happy and healthy now. He recently shared a photo of the young boy on his Instagram page. Jon got to celebrate Collin’s 14 birthday alongside his sister, Hannah. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like any of the other Gosselin kids were involved in the celebration. It also looks like Kate had nothing to do with the birthday party either, as it was just the three of them.

Although Jon has his boy back, it's clear that he’s still bitter. He had this to say to Us Weekly: “I don’t know what’s going on. The whole point is I’m left in the dark. There’s no explanation. It’s disheartening. I don’t ever see Collin, ever. Not off the bus because he doesn’t go to school. Not at the gate because he doesn’t come down. Nothing. I am totally estranged from Collin because of Kate.”

4 Kate And Her Lack Of Patience

Kate Gosselin is the kind of person that people can easily read, especially when it comes to her facial expressions. When she’s angry, tired, or completely overwhelmed, there’s no way she can hide it. The entire world sees it on her face. And if there is something that we have seen a lot of, it’s her lack of patience.

Kate’s best friend Beth Carson, believes that society is to blame for Kate’s behavior. In other words, it’s not Kate that’s the problem, it’s everyone around her that’s the problem.

She told Radar Online in an interview, “I think society has to take some responsibility because every person who tuned in and fed the fire, cannot turn around and now criticize her. You’re essentially patting her on the back, so who are you to turn around and say she’s gone too far?”

She continued: “I think it will be interesting — it’s kind of become this social project of society. Like, what has society done? They were so highlighted and so out there on TV, as real people, so the kids are the first products of that. The kids were really the first ones who had no choice, they were infants. It has influenced their every moment of every day.”

3 Troubles At School

As we don’t know what kind of “special needs” Collin Gosselin has, we don’t know exactly what was going on at school. But multiple reports say that he was having a lot of problems in the classroom. He couldn’t concentrate or focus on his schoolwork. In addition, he also had a hard time listening to his teachers and school administrators. Kate had no choice but to take him out of his public elementary school.

Again, Kate refuses to tell the world what happened that triggered her decision to send Collin away from home. She’s keeping that information to herself. According to E! Online, Kate once said: "I am comforted with the fact that my kids, all of them, each unique child, is receiving exactly what they need and that hasn't changed. I've said that before. I'll say it again. It's a bittersweet moment [and] we've had many of them. You can't do anything without realizing he's missing. So we may not say it, but it's always there. We miss him so much, so it's been hard because there is a huge hole in our family without him here. But it comforts us to know he's where he needs to be right now, and I can feel good about that."

2 Kate Keeps The Truth Well Hidden

As a lot of critics and fans know already that Kate Gosselin is a complicated person. She’s also a person who is obsessed with her own image and obsessed with controlling everything that goes on around her. That’s why a lot of people say she kicked Jon Gosselin to the curb, simply because she couldn’t control him or his actions any longer. The ironic thing about Kate Gosselin is that she is a known reality television star, with the key word there being “reality.”

Yet nothing about Kate’s life seems to be realistic. Instead, every move she makes is rather well scripted, if not hidden from plain view.

Speaking about why Kate and those around her keep very quiet, her best friend Beth told Radar Online, “I used to get calls regularly with offers to tell behind the scenes stuff. A lot of people who worked for Kate knew a lot of stuff, and every single person said no. They cared about the kids too much. It’s a tribute to the character and integrity of those who helped her. It’s also a testament to Kate’s character, for not keeping them in her life. I think she’s got to see that it’s sad.”

1 His Siblings Want Him Back

It’s without a doubt that Collin’s siblings miss him and want to see him come back home. After all, they are a family and with everything they have gone through these least several years, the last thing they want to see is them losing yet another family member. But right now, no one knows what is going on or if Collin will ever come back home. Kate refuses to tell anyone the truth.

At the same time, it doesn’t look like the situation is going to change anytime soon. Collin has contact with Jon and Hannah, but we don’t know if his other siblings have been in touch with him. According to Hollywood Life, an insider confided, “Kate doesn't want Collin on camera very much because all the stimulation can be difficult for him. He's responding very well to one-on-one instruction. He definitely finds it easier to function and cope better without all the chaos that his home life entails." That makes sense to us.

Watch this space. We have a feeling that we will be hearing much more about Collin Gosselin very soon. In the meantime, let us know what you think by leaving us a line with your thoughts in our comments section!

References: people.com, azquotes.com, hollywoodlife.com, eonline.com, etonline.com, radaronline.com, dailymail.co.uk