REALITY TEA: Jon Gosselin is FREE! Free to talk – that is – and he has a lot to say about ex-wife Kate Gosselin. In a recent interview, Jon shared, "My contract was over in September of 2012. My exclusivity? That’s done. It was done earlier, but there is a six month waiting period, then it’s wiped clean." Oy. Kate's worst nightmare. The former Jon & Kate Plus 8 star also dished about finances, custody issues, and a possible tell-all book.
First, Jon explained why he quit Jon & Kate Plus 8, their wildly popular reality TV show. "I quit the show so our divorce couldn't be filmed. So there was no video record of the demise of our marriage and the insecurity of our children." Four years later… "It's still going on now – custody battles, not agreeing, the rules, and court. It doesn't bother me though because I want to do what’s best for my kids."
Kate is to blame for the ongoing battle according to Jon. "I don’t know why she doesn't want to work together. I don’t know what the hate is, what the revenge is. She chose TV, she wanted to get divorced, she marketed the children. My former wife sees it as ownership and not as togetherness."
Jon continued, "I think I sacrifice more on my end because I’m not on the network anymore. I’m not making the money I used to. I have to go to work, I have for four years. The lying, all the crap in between, is just ridiculous. I’ve seen couples work together in a divorce." Work is not very high on Jon's priority list. "To me it’s more important to be there for your children. You have to be there, always. Your job, if they don’t understand, then they don’t really care about you as an employee. It’s family first, career, then the rest. I have had enough courage to say I’m leaving. I don’t even think about."
Jon added, "People say, ‘Oh, you have to have steady job to support them.’ Well, I need to support them emotionally not financially. They’ll be taken care of." By Kate? Jon whined about the "big pile of cash" she "sits on" repeatedly. While he might be fueled by what's best for the kids, as he mentioned 100 times, he sounds bitter to me.
About finances, Jon added, "I know how much I paid for my divorce. I know how much I paid to the network for getting sued [for quitting]. I know how much I paid out in lawyers. I know what I owe, which is astronomical, but it’s done. I can’t do anything about it. It’s a guilt on my part and my shoulders, and I don’t know if I’ll ever make that much money again. And I don’t necessarily care. I have to take care of myself." Does Jon regret quitting the show? "It was a horrible business decision. I destroyed everything but it was a moral thing. And any time morals are involved, you know there is going to be huge sacrifice. But [the kids] are free now. I’m free now."
About Kate, Jon said, "I've never burned my ex-wife in the public. If I wanted to, I would have made millions of dollars in 2009. I protected the sanctity of our family. You want to go out there and burn me? You go ahead but you’re not protecting the sanctity of your family. You’re not protecting your children’s lives. You’re just burning their father in the press." Now that Jon is free to talk? "Do I want to? Sure, and I have every possible piece of documentation needed to back myself."
Jon went on to say that he's no longer afraid of Kate or TLC. He continued, "I haven’t spoken in four years, so now I’m doing stuff and it is all coming out because I don’t care anymore. I’m not under injunction anymore. I think that’s the fear of the network and the fear of my former wife but the truth is actually going to come out because one day, I’m just going to snap." Finally, Jon teased, "I wrote a book but I’m not sure I want to publish it now. It has a lot of stuff going on, legality wise, I mean it would pretty much sum up everything.
Kate Gosselin Promises to 'Never Leave' Her 'Tweeties', and They Love It!
GATHER: Kate Gosselin sounds as though she might be trying to strike a deal with her fans on social networking. The reality TV mom of eight, who has joined modern "tweeting society" as she puts it, sent out a message on Saturday that is cute and definitely a way to say she wants to stay in the spotlight for a while longer.
The quote Kate re-tweeted is from the romantic movie "The Notebook", which was originally a book by Nicholas Sparks. If you saw it, then you already know it's super-cheesy-but-oh-so-sweet.
Here's what Kate said:
"Hey tweeties, do we have a deal? :) XO RT @Notebook: I promise to stay if you promise to never leave."
Despite all the hate Kate gets, it seems that her followers are definitely in on this deal and want to see more of Kate Gosselin and her children in the future. Many of them tweeted their reply with the word "Deal!" showing just how much they love Kate and her eight.
Do you think Kate should stay in the spotlight? Will it be good for her kids as they get older?