The ‘Jon & Kate Plus 8’ alum also gave an update on his relationship with his estranged kids, and revealed his girlfriend has spoken to Kate.
Jon Gosselin is opening up about where he stands with his ex-wife, Kate Gosselin, and his estranged children.
During an appearance on The Domenick Nati Show on Thursday, the Jon & Kate Plus 8 alum — who shares eight children with Kate — revealed the last time he spoke to his ex-wife, and accused her of “parent alienation.”
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Jon Gosselin Reveals Where He Stands with His Children
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Jon and his ex share 20-year-old sextuplets Aaden, Alexis, Collin, Hannah, Joel, and Leah, and 23-year-old twins Cara and Mady. While Hannah and Collin have lived with their dad since Summer 2021, the other four sextuplets live with Kate. Cara and Mady were estranged from Jon, and lived with their mom, before they attended college.
While speaking to Nati, Jon revealed that he has not spoken to Kate since 2018 when they were both in court. The couple was married for 10 years before divorcing in 2009. At the time, Kate was granted primary custody of the children. However, in 2018, Jon was given custody of both Hannah and Collin.
He told Nati that he only speaks to Hannah and Collin, but said his daughter is the only one who speaks to or visits her other siblings.
Although Jon said he’s not in contact with Kate, he shared that his girlfriend, Stephanie Labo, has spoken to his ex before, and his estranged children have met her as well, noting that it’s happened through FaceTime and was organized by Hannah.
“Everything seems copacetic,” he said, before recalling Stephanie and Kate’s apparent conversation.
“They just said ‘Hi’ or something like that… like ‘Hey, I’m with your daughter’ or ‘Hey, you’re with my daughter,'” he continued, noting that he thinks Kate sees his relationship with Stephanie as “long term.” “So maybe she wanted to know the woman [who’s] influencing her children, and, I don’t know, maybe she’s just concerned, but it happened, and it transpired.”
Jon also said that he’s still not on speaking terms with the children with whom he’s estranged: Aaden, Alexis, Joel, Leah, and the twins.
“My other kids haven’t talked to me though. Maybe it’s just easier to talk to someone that’s with me but not me,” Jon said, referring to Stephanie being in communication with his estranged kids. “… Under the scrutiny of everything that transpired, it might just be easier for them to talk to a third-party individual that’s totally integrated into my life.”
When asked if he believes Kate “brainwashed” the other children to stay away from him, Jon said the term “parent alienation” is more appropriate.
“I don’t know if it’s brainwashing. I think it’s maybe parent alienation — you’re swaying someone,” he explained. “Some people just can’t not be alone, so they’ll do anything or if they have the means, they’re going to sway their children or whoever is in their life to not go with the other parent.”
“Hannah chose to live with me so that was different, and Collin was awarded to me.” he continued. “He didn’t really have a choice, and I think sometimes he feels slighted on that, like, he didn’t even have the opportunity to choose. But, I mean, I think everything worked out for both of them [for] the best.”
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Jon said Hannah still speaks to Kate, but Collin doesn’t.
“There’s too much from the past,” he said. “I mean, you can read all the press on that one. But that’s really up to Collin to make his own decisions and to speak to whoever he wants to speak to about that.”
During an appearance on VICE’s docuseries Dark Side of the 2000s last year, Collin and Hannah spoke out about their alleged experience living with their mom following their parents split.
When Collin was just 12 back in 2016, his mother said he had “special needs” and sent him to a live-in learning facility. In the doc, the 20-year-old — who has been the most outspoken sibling when it comes to his family — called out his mom for putting him in the facility and accused her of treating him unfairly as a child. Although he admitted he wasn’t a “perfect child,” he said his “misbehaving was no different” than his siblings. He said he believes that since Kate “was going through a lot of things” at the time, she unfairly took it out on him.
“I mean, a divorce and plenty of different things that can’t be easy to go through,” Collin added. “And, you know, I want to think that she needed someone to take out her anger and frustration on, and it was just kind of me. I was in the way, and I was there. So, she chose me.”
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Following Collin’s tell-all interview, Kate came forward to share her truth — claiming Collin was “unpredictable” and often had “violent” outbursts that still continue to this day.
Also during his appearance on The Domenick Nati Show, Jon shared that he plans to propose to Stephanie soon, saying it’ll happen before Thanksgiving.
As for his future wedding, he said it’ll be an “intimate” ceremony, followed by a “big home reception.”
Although Jon is estranged from six of his children, he said he’ll invite all of his kids to his wedding — but said the invitations will have to “go through Hannah.”
“I don’t see why they wouldn’t get an invite,” Jon said. “Whether they come or not, that’s going to be up to them since they’re adults now and can make their own adult decisions.”
