Where Do Jon And Kate Gosselin Stand Now, Years After Their Messy Divorce?
The following article mentions child abuse allegations and mental health struggles.
For three years, "Jon & Kate Plus 8" was part of the national fascination with mega-families. Jon and Kate Gosselin beat the reproductive odds by having twin daughters Mady and Cara in 2000, followed by sextuplets Aaden, Alexis, Collin, Hannah, Joel, and Leah in 2004. While it was fun to see how the couple managed grocery shopping, dentist visits, and family outings without losing either their minds or one of the kids, the tension between the Gosselin parents made for squirm-inducing viewing.
Finally, in 2009, Jon and Kate divorced. While the split was blamed in part on the stress of fame, Kate told People Jon had also begun acting like a single guy, buying pricey vehicles for himself and maintaining a separate social life. "The weirdest thing is that overnight he became a different person," she claimed. Jon has denied cheating during their marriage but has said he felt like Kate's business partner and was expected to behave a certain way. What followed was a contentious court battle that ended in Kate's receiving custody of all eight children. Despite the ruling, sextuplets Collin and Hannah opted to live with their father several years later, fracturing the family still further.
Fifteen years after their marriage ended, the Gosselin parents are busy living their separate best lives. Unlike some split celeb couples, they don't reunite for family holidays, birthdays, or graduations — and it doesn't look like they ever will.
The Gosselins haven't spoken for years
The Gosselins' post-fame life has been even more drama-filled than when they were in front of the cameras. Jon Gosselin told Entertainment Tonight he hasn't heard from Mady and Cara (seen here) in more than 10 years, and not from Aaden, Joel, Alexis, or Leah in five. Jon claims their mom, Kate Gosselin, has encouraged the estrangement. Meanwhile, the two kids under his custody fanned the fire with their appearance on the Vice series "Dark Side of the 2000s." Collin and Hannah Gosselin made shocking claims about Kate, saying she made Collin her scapegoat for her anger and was mentally abusive toward him. Kate responded with a social media statement denying the charges. Her son's history of mental health issues, she said, gave him a "distorted perception of reality."
Today, the "8" are all young adults pursuing college and careers; Collin went into Marine boot camp training right out of high school. Their parents are busy, too; Jon is a part-time DJ who frequently travels for gigs and appearances. Kate, who moved to North Carolina with her six custodial children in 2021, is back to her original career as a nurse. She was last seen on TV as part of the Season 1 cast of "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test," but had to leave the show after sustaining a neck injury after the first challenge. She didn't get a sympathy call from her ex, however. "I don't talk to Kate. ...I haven't heard her voice since 2018," Jon told ET.
Jon and Hannah Gosselin are working on their health
No chance of Jon and Kate Gosselin ever rekindling their romance (not that anyone expected them to). For the last three years, Jon has been happily coupled with girlfriend Stephanie Lebo. In an October Instagram post, she announced, "I want you to know that I thank god every night for crossing our paths. We both deserve this happiness and love we share." Kate has been less lucky; her reality series "Kate Plus Date" was canned after six episodes after failing to produce either ratings or a new guy. Kate hasn't commented publicly her ex's love life, and Jon is fine with that. "Kate doesn't care what I do," he said in another Entertainment Tonight interview. "Kate does what Kate does. Kate only cares about Kate."
Jon is moving on in another way, too. He told ET he and daughter Hannah are undergoing ultrasound therapy for weight loss at the Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center; Fox News confirms Jon will also be taking a generic form of Ozempic to aid in dropping the pounds. "I love Stephanie and I have future plans with her, but I want to be in maybe the best shape of my life," Jon said. "She loves me for who I am, dad bod or whatever, but in my mind, you know, we all see ourselves as 25 and fit... that's where I wanna be."
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.