What You Don't Know About Jon Gosselin's Girlfriend Colleen Conrad
Former reality star Jon Gosselin first came to prominence on TLC's Jon & Kate Plus 8, which showcased the zany family life he and ex-wife Kate had with their eight children, including sextuplet and twin girls. The couple had a messy divorce amid filming the show and, in the decade since, things have only got more complicated between them. As Gosselin told ET, the custody situation is strained, with two of the children, Hannah and Collin, living with their father while the other four, Leah, Joel, Alexis, and Aaden, reside with Kate (grown-up twins Mady and Cara are both attending college).
"I don't hear from Kate. It's just totally like that person doesn't exist anymore," he admitted, acknowledging the estranged exes don't actually live that far away from each other so the kids are free to all hang out together if only their mother would open up the lines of communication. "I feel like there is an invisible wall," Gosselin explained. Thankfully, the father of eight has found love elsewhere and can now look to the future after learning from everything he's gone through with Kate.
Jon Gosselin and Colleen Conrad have been together for a while
As ET notes, Gosselin has been seeing health professional Colleen Conrad for over six years. It's an entirely different relationship to any other he's had in his life because, as the former reality star sees it, he's more grown-up and settled these days. They're in no hurry to walk down the aisle, however, as Gosselin shares, "We live together, have many things together and we definitely have a blended family in all sense of that word."
Most importantly, Gosselin's kids have given their seal of approval to his partner, as evidenced by a recent family vacation to Florida. Hannah and Collin were there, alongside a few family friends, with Conrad sharing several happy pics of them all hanging out in the sun together on Instagram. "A quick, short but amazing and also needed quick vacation! Love my family and our friends in Ponte Vedra!!!" she captioned the gallery. They previously vacationed in Atlantic City, NJ together, too.
Colleen Conrad is super close with Jon Gosselin's kids
Clearly, it means the world to Gosselin that Conrad gets along with his children, particularly given the ongoing custody dispute. Back in June, he took to Instagram to share a birthday message for his lady, writing, "Happy Birthday to my best friend, lover and companion!!! I couldn't have made it this far with out you." Gosselin also noted, "I appreciate everything you have done for me and my kids!!!" According to Today, on Mother's Day Collin put up a tribute to Conrad before swiftly making his account private.
"I don't think mother can describe all the things Colleen has done for me," he wrote. A source close to the family previously told In Touch magazine that Collin considers Conrad his unofficial stepmother and really looks up to her. Conrad, for her part, "Loves her life and she cares about Collin. She'll support and care for him and Hannah as long as they're in her life."