14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier this week, TLC confirmed that they would be getting back in touch with Kate Gosselin and her 8 children with ex-husband Jon Gosselin, thanks to a special that would air this summer. This marks Kate’s return to reality television and she swears her kids are as excited about it as she is.
Kate and Jon attained international fame with their series Jon and Kate Plus 8, which also aired on TLC. Then divorce came and Jon tried to argue that his children were being exploited by being put in front of the camera like that, and Kate (and TLC) pushed him out.
She got her own series, called simply Kate Plus 8, but it was canceled after some time for dwindling ratings. Since then, Kate has repeatedly tried to get back in the game with a new show, so our guess is she’s probably hoping this summer’s TLC special will pave the way to that.
First things first though, she wants to assure whatever’s left of her once huge fanbase that there is no truth to Jon’s claims: the 8 children feel at home in the spotlight and they’re actually thrilled they’re making their TV comeback.
“They cheered like crazy. It was like I announced that it's Christmas tomorrow. Our crew walked in and it was like they had never left,” Kate tells Us Weekly.
She probably expects Jon to try and cause a scene over her new deal so she’s trying to play it cool.
“I mean, everybody is entitled to their opinions. I don't let it bother me or affect me that much. I'm led by my gut, my heart, and doing what I've always set out to do as a parent,” Kate explains. Rumor has it that she doesn’t have to ask Jon’s permission to have their kids on camera on a new show.
Even if that’s the case, it doesn’t mean that Jon is taking the news with a smile on his face. He’s seething, insiders reveal for the same publication, and he believes that Kate might have already ruined their children’s future – a new show would only worsen the damage already done.
“He thinks it is a really bad idea for his kids. Jon feels he has his kids' best interest at heart,” says the insider.
In recent interviews, Jon said that he believed his kids were traumatized by their brush with fame and a reality television career at such an early age and that they had developmental issues that Kate should not ignore. He also hinted he might ask for custody for this reason, but whether he will actually act on that remains to be seen.