Jon & Kate Plus 8's Kate Gosselin Takes Rare Trip: See New Photos – E! Online

Kate Gosselin Out and about.

the former John and Kate plus 8 The star was spotted for the first time in years when she visited a friend in Charlotte, NC, 13 October

The 49-year-old was all smiles during the outing, keeping it casual in black pants and a pink T-shirt with running shoes. Kate finished off her look with a slicked back ponytail.

Kate has maintained a low profile over the past few years, although she has recently made headlines He is 20 years old the son Colleen–whom she shares with an ex John Gosselin–publicly Accused of abusing her during her childhood.

“My mother built a room in the unfinished part of our storage basement,” he said American Sun In September “he had a room with cameras in it, a small window in the corner and it was bolt-locked from the outside. It was like a containment room and it had a mattress on the floor and that's how I lived.”