Leave it to a reality program and 15 minutes of fame to further complicate already challenging family relations. The Gosselin family faced exactly this after Jon and Kate gained fame for having 8 children. Although the TLC program debuted in 2007, the couple had already split in 2009.
One of the reasons for Jon and Kate Gosselin’s divorce has been put on Jon and Kate Plus 8. However, the family has suffered much more as a result of the divorce. Not only is Jon separated from six of his eight children, but the children themselves have little or no interaction with their siblings.
What led to Jon and Kate Gosselin’s divorce?
As reported by Us Weekly, the tension between Jon and Kate was seen on television by August 2008. The couple, who wedded in 1999, gained national attention after giving birth to sextuplets (Alexis, Collin, Joel, Hannah, Leah and Aaden) and garnering two Discovery Health programs in 2005 and 2006, respectively. The couple, who also had twins (Mady and Cara), got their own show on TLC in 2007.
Despite the fact that conflicts between the couple were evident on the show, especially in terms of how they raised their eight children, rumours of Jon cheating were the reason for their split. Us Weekly revealed the news in May 2009. After one month of separation, their divorce was finalized in just over a year.
Collin Gosselin accused his mom Kate Gosselin for his relationship with his siblings
The fact that Collin Gosselin was taken to a behavioral institution is without a doubt the most complex part of the Gosselin family drama. This was done without Jon Gosselin’s knowledge, according to The Daily Mail. Collin was originally one of the eight Gosselin children who lived with his mother, thus Jon had little access to him. When Collin was released, he went to live with his father.
Jon challenged Kate for custody again when Collin was moved out of the institute. He eventually won full custody of Collin and Hannah. Collin and Hannah have had no contact with the rest of their siblings, Mady, Cara, Alexis, Joel, Leah and Aaden, since then.
Collin Gosselin stated the following regarding his mother’s impact on his relationship with his siblings during an interview on VICE TV’s Dark Side Of The 2000s: “So, my mother, she’s very controlling. She’s determined, she knows what she wants and she gets what she wants,” Collin said. “I think my mom kind of drove a social barrier between us. She told them the story one way, and obviously, I see the story a different way.”
Hannah confirmed Collin’s statements, providing further details about what took place when Kate sent her brother to the institute. “We did not talk to Collin for years while he was in the facility, we didn’t even know where he was,” Hannah stated. “That was a big thing for me because I couldn’t comprehend why my mom would do that to one of our siblings, her own kid.”
Hannah stated she was angry with her siblings for excluding Collin from their lives. “That is like a really dark part of our past. They don’t talk to Collin. Everyone eventually found out what happened to him but now they decided to just not have a relationship with him.”