Collin Gosselin recently took to social media to praise Colleen Conrad, his father Jon Gosselin's former girlfriend, referring to her as his "real mom." This public declaration came just hours after Collin announced the upcoming release of his memoir, "In the Shadow of Eight."

In his social media post, Collin, 22, shared a photo with Conrad, stating, "She is the strongest woman I know, who stepped in at the toughest part of my life and CHOSE to be a mother to me." He added, "Happy birthday to my wonderful, hardworking, passionate, and I could go on… to my real mom ❤️ I love you so much." Conrad responded to the post, affirming, "I’ll always be here for you and you are my son.

I love you!" This public acknowledgment of Conrad's role in his life offers insight into Collin's personal relationships as he prepares to share his story.

Collin's memoir, scheduled for release in October, promises to be a revealing account of his experiences.

He captioned a montage of childhood photos with a statement emphasizing the book's purpose: "This is not a story for entertainment, it is a story to instill responsibility in everyone to advocate and speak up against abuse, injustice, and the exploitation of children." He further stated, "I not only poured my heart into this book for my younger self, but for ALL who have faced unfair and outright heinous acts as children.

I am your voice.

I stand with you.

CG."

The publisher's synopsis describes "In the Shadow of Eight" as Collin's "never-before-told story of how [he] escaped and found his way back from the dark." It also characterizes the book as "a reckoning with the dark side of fame: the systems, the entourage, and the institutions that allowed one boy to be erased." The book's cover notably features a throwback image of his mother, Kate Gosselin, with her hand over Collin's mouth.

Collin has previously made allegations of "child abuse and child exploitation" against his mother, including claims of being zip-tied and institutionalized in 2016.

Kate Gosselin has consistently denied these claims, defending her decision to place him in a behavioral health facility.

The family, including Collin's sextuplet siblings Aaden, Joel, Alexis, Hannah, and Leah, and twins Cara and Madelyn, gained fame through the TLC reality show "Jon & Kate Plus 8," which later became "Kate Plus 8" after his parents' 2009 divorce.

Jon Gosselin was granted sole custody of Collin, and Hannah later moved in with them.