Jon Gosselin sharply compared his former wife, Kate Gosselin, to convicted family vlogger Ruby Franke while discussing allegations involving their son Collin. During Tuesday’s episode of the “Legally Goff” podcast, Jon said he believed Kate should be behind bars over the abuse Collin has alleged, as reported by Page Six.

“He was abused, and the abuser still walks free, and that’s awful,” Jon said. His comments followed the recent publication of Collin’s memoir, which contains accusations about his childhood and his treatment by his mother.

Jon invoked Franke’s criminal case while questioning why Kate had not faced similar consequences. “Ruby Franke did less than what Colin is alleged — he’s saying in his book,” he said.

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Franke, a former family vlogger, was sentenced in 2024 to serve up to 4 to 30 years in prison for aggravated child abuse. In Utah, consecutive sentences for second-degree felonies are capped at a maximum combined term of 30 years.

A case summary from the Washington County Attorney’s Office said two of Franke’s children were kept in a “work-camp-like setting.” According to the summary, they “were regularly denied food, water, beds to sleep in, and virtually all forms of entertainment.”

Franke is currently being held at the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City. Jon used her punishment to challenge what he viewed as different treatment for celebrities, asking during the podcast, “Why is it different for celebrities?”

Kate’s representative did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment. Kate has denied Collin’s abuse allegations and previously defended her decision to place him in a mental institution, describing that decision as “medically necessary.”

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Jon also revealed during the podcast that he is working with attorneys to determine whether he can potentially build a case against Kate. No further details about that possible legal action were provided.

The former “Jon & Kate Plus 8” star also addressed his estrangement from his eldest daughters, twins Madelyn and Cara. He made the painful admission that he would not recognize them if he passed them on the street.

Jon described the separation as complete silence: “Alienation [as in] silence. I’ve never heard their voice.” He said he went from being an active parent every day to being removed from their lives.

“I don’t care if they call me an asshole or whatever,” the 49-year-old said. “I just want some kind of response.”

Jon added that he wanted his daughters to text or message him so that he would at least know something about their feelings. He said that spending 13 years without knowing had “pretty much eaten my soul away.”

The podcast appearance followed the release of Collin’s memoir, “In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood.” Collin, one of Jon and Kate’s six sextuplets, uses the book to accuse Kate of abuse and describe his experience in a mental institution.

Collin was placed in the institution in 2016, when he was 11 years old. Among his allegations, he claims Kate kept him in a “small holding cell” located in the unfinished basement of the family home.

He also alleges that his siblings and TLC camera crews were not allowed to see him there. Kate has continued to deny allegations that she abused Collin.

Jon and Kate became famous through their TLC reality series about raising their eight children. The couple divorced in 2009, and Kate was granted sole physical custody of all eight children.

By 2018, Jon had obtained custody of Collin and Hannah, two years after Collin was institutionalized. The family’s conflict has since continued through public allegations, denials, and Jon’s account of his estrangement from his eldest daughters.

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