Jon Gosselin has spent several years publicly discussing his contentious divorce from ex-wife, Kate Gosselin, and his fractured relationship with six of his eight children. Although Jon says he has relationships with two of the sextuplets, Hannah and Collin, he no longer sees or speaks to his other kids, twins Mady and Cara, Alexis, Leah, Joel, and Aaden, claiming they may be afraid to reconnect with him.
Jon recently opened up about his family situation during the Nov. 3 episode of the Legally Goff podcast. The former Jon & Kate Plus 8 star claims that he hasn’t seen his oldest daughters, Mady and Cara in several years. Jon says it’s been so long since he’s seen the twins that he wouldn’t even be able to recognize them if he ran into them in public.
Jon Gosselin Says He Wouldn’t Recognize His Kids On The Street
“I haven’t seen Mady and Cara in like forever,” Jon revealed. “Yeah, I wouldn’t be able to pick them out in the street. I have pictures of them, but I still wouldn’t be able to pick them out on the street. That’s how much I haven’t seen them,” Jon confessed.
Gosselin went on to reveal his sadness over all of the important milestones he’s missed in his children’s lives, emphasizing the point that his kids are complete strangers to him.
“I missed graduations. I missed proms. I was alienated from all that stuff,” Jon stated. “I don’t know anything about my twins, if they have boyfriends or girlfriends, or what favorite color they have now, if they drive a car. I know nothing.”
Gosselin Claims His Kids Live In Fear Of A Relationship With Him
Jon says he was alienated from Mady and Cara’s lives when they were 13-years-old and that it’s been “silence” from them ever since. The twins are now 26-years-old. The reality star says that he blames both Kate Gosselin and the TLC network for his estrangement from the kids.
“They, I guess, believe the narrative of TLC that I’m a s–tbag and that I don’t want to see them and just like Kate told Collin,” Jon explained. “And I believe that’s exactly what she said to Mady and Cara and that’s their mother and they believed her and that was it.”
Jon says he thinks that all of the children are afraid of reconciling with him due to the narrative they’ve been fed about him. “The same thing with the other four. They just said, you know, they live in fear, and I don’t blame them. And I don’t blame them now,” he added.
Collin Gosselin Is Also Alienated From The Family
Unfortunately, Jon isn’t the only one who’s been alienated from the family. His son Collin is also estranged from his siblings. Collin, who recently published a book about the alleged abuse he claims he suffered at the hands of his mother, Kate, claims that he no longer speaks to his brothers and sisters. However, he does hope to reconnect in the future.
Fans have watched the Gosselin family drama play out in the media for decades. For Jon, speaking about his children in the media appears to be the way he can attempt to share messages with them. Of course, the internet has many thoughts on the situation.
Some people feel for Jon as he continues to try to reconnect with his kids. Others are tired of seeing the headlines and wonder why Gosselin continues to appear in the media.
How Did Jon & Kate Plus 8 Become a Reality TV Phenomenon?
The Gosselin family rose to fame on their TLC reality series, which premiered in 2007. The show followed Jon and Kate’s lives as they raised their eight children in Pennsylvania. Viewers got an inside look at the family’s everyday lives, the struggles, chaos, and celebrations surrounding the brood.
However, after years of reality TV success, Jon and Kate’s marriage began to crumble and the couple announced their split in 2009. Jon eventually left the show and it was rebranded as Kate Plus 8. The show featured Kate parenting the kids as a single mother, and ran for several seasons before ending in 2017, per The Wrap.
What Do Fans Think About The Gosselin Family Drama?
“I understand where he’s coming from and I’m so sorry for him,” one person sympathized. “Despite having rejected reality television, Jon has continued for years to share his personal life with any and all media outlets willing to speak with him,” said another.
“Why is this dysfunctional family still in the news! So sad for all of them,” a third person commented. “Something to keep in mind is that not only did the kids get alienated from Jon and Collin, but also from the extended family,” a fourth person claimed.
For now, it doesn’t appear that Jon Gosselin is any closer to repairing his relationships with his estranged children. After years of family drama playing out in front of television cameras, the Gosselin children are now adults, and whether they ever decide to reconnect with their father remains to be seen.
