The Gosselin sextuplets recently celebrating their sixteenth birthday, and their dad Jon Gosselin remains hopeful of a reunion among the siblings in the near future.
That reunion would bring Collin and Hannah, the two sextuplets in Jon’s custody, together with Leah, Aaden, Joel and Alexis, the four sextuplets that remain in Kate Gosselin’s custody. (Jon and Kate also share 19-year-old twins Cara and Mady, who are currently away at college.)
In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Jon talked about how he encourages Hannah and Collin to maintain contact with their siblings. He also talked about his own estrangement from six of his eight kids, asking them to reach out to him.
According to ET, while the children who live with Kate are not currently on speaking terms with their father, Jon’s main focus is reuniting his children with one another.
“My wish is that all my kids would just be together, like, hang out together,” Jon said. “Kate and I don’t live that far away from each other and I feel like there’s an invisible wall. They should just be able to just get together. I mean, I have no qualms about it. If they wanna go meet each other, just go ahead.”
He added that his ex Kate may not share his feelings, though.
“But I feel like [the resistance to that is] more on the other side.”
As to why his kids have yet to come together, Jon assures he’s “not stopping them,” though he “can’t speak for the other side.” He hopes this will change soon, as the sextuplets are now 16 and will have more freedom when they begin driving.
“I’m hoping that when my kids – and they will get their license, and when I say my kids I’m referring to Hannah and Collin – that they’ll just drive to school and pick up their siblings,” he said. “And legally, no one can stop them from doing so.”
Jon said he doesn’t speak to Kate – “That person doesn’t exist anymore,” he stated – and admitted that he doesn’t actually know how the children in Kate’s custody feel about seeing Collin and Hannah. Regardless of their feelings on the matter, Jon wanted to express to the other four children on the week of their birthday that they are always welcome in his home.
“Leah, Aaden, Joel and Alexis, I love you,” Jon said. “You’re welcome to come over, call Hannah, Collin. I don’t know what’s holding you up. I don’t know what the ill will is, but if you watch or don’t watch or see it on the Internet, I love you, happy birthday. Sorry I have to go through media channels. I know no one likes that or whatever, but it’s kinda hard to reach out to you. But anyway, good luck and hopefully you call, or call Hannah, and you can walk to my house. It’s all good.”
On the sextuplets’ actual birthday, May 10, Jon dedicated a birthday post to them on social media.
“Happy 16th Birthday to Hannah and Collin,” he wrote. “I miss you Leah, Joel, Alexis and Aaden I hope your 16th Birthday is just as memorable!!! Love, Dad.”
Kate posted a birthday post for the sextuplets as well, however, unlike Jon’s post, she seemed to glaze over the fact that two of the sextuplets are no longer in her custody.
Jon may not speak to the other four sextuplets, but he still sees them occasionally, due to the small town in which they all reside. When those run-ins occur, Jon said he and the kids will wave to each other, but nothing more.
“If they’re with their mother, I don’t want to upset the balance … And it’s not my place to intervene. It’s up to them,” he said. “You don’t wanna make it uncomfortable for the child. So, I just go about … and I’m comfortable with it myself.”
In addition to his strained relationship with the sextuplets, Jon said he hasn’t spoken to his twins Cara and Mady in “six years or seven years.” Still, he’s somewhat optimistic that “maybe as adults they’ll come talk to me.”
“The time has been so much, I mean, when I look back it is upsetting, because I did spend a lot of time with my twins,” he said. “But they told me they don’t want me to talk about them in the press, so I try not to talk about them in the press because I don’t really know them.”
Jon hopes that one day, possibly at one of his children’s weddings, they all will come together again.
“Maybe a wedding, their weddings might be one of those [times],” he said. “‘Hey, how are you?’ I have no idea. I’m more of an extroverted personality, I’m very outgoing. I tend to forgive easily. I don’t forget. We’re Korean, we don’t forget.”
(Photos: The Ashley; TLC; Instagram)
15 Responses
Sorry, I’m team Jon all the way. Is he perfect? No. He was made some major mistakes—the worst of which is choosing to procreate with Kate. Kate lied to Jon from the start and used her nursing knowledge to give herself extra hormone injections during IFV with the sextuplets so she could have multiples in an attempt to be famous.
Kate was verbal and emotionally abusive towards Jon for most of their marriage. He tried to leave peacefully for years and was forced to stay due to the contract with TLC. Kate then spent the duration of her television careers bashing Jon on her show, in interviews, publicly. It’s not like she has taken the high road here. Jon has been completely vilified in the media during that 10 years of gag orders (not saying he didn’t bring some of the hate on himself. I am betting Jon has a ton of regrets on the way he behaved.) and now is trying to publicly redeem himself. Again, not saying he’s going about it the right way but I can understand why he is speaking so publicly now. Kate is a monster. We have no idea what she has been telling her kids about Jon all these years and I’m sure she has them terrified to attempt a relationship with those not under her thumb (Jon, Hannah, and Collin). Lets not forget—she shipped Collin off to a “behavioral program” for two years without telling anyone where the poor child was now living. If your parent does that to one of your siblings, what makes you think she wouldn’t do it to you, too? This is textbook Stockholm Syndrome in the kids in her custody. Jon is just trying to change the narrative.
I actually can’t wait until one of those kids writes a tell-all about their childhood.
“But they told me they don’t want me to talk about them in the press, so I try not to talk about them in the press because I don’t really know them.”
Yeah…..
Both of these parents have screwed up so badly. The fact that the kids are split up and don’t even talk to each other is seriously pathetic. Jon and Kate should both be ashamed at what they have done to their kids. Selfish, fame whores.
Also, nobody can stop Jon legally from sending gifts, cards or letters to their house.
Or come to their games perhaps and just wave at them in the past.
It’s so strange but other parents that really want to have contact with their kids, figure out ways outside the media.
I’m glad he talks to the media. After all that sh*t stirring Kate was doing when they divorced, it’s Kate’s turn to taste her own medicine. Not to forget either what she did to Collin.
This is so very sad, two idiots that can’t be civil adults are causing this huge divide and will affect these children for many years if not the rest of their lives. I hate this for the kids.
I don’t know who is worse Jon or Kate. They’re both attention seekers and money hungry. All of them need therapy.
It seems to me it’s the other way around. We never hear from Kate but jon can’t stop bashing her enough in public so likely does it for the two kids in his custody to hear about too. He’s a pos.
Amen!!
I have been saying the same thing. Soon as the gag order was lifted he started flipping his lips and hasn’t stopped since.
I cannot STAND HIM. He baled on those kids and signed whatever he needed , so long as he didn’t have to pay child support, he was “living like a rockstar” while Kate was busy ACTUALLY RAISING KIDS, Providing for them etc.
Shut up Jon, I wouldn’t talk to you either!
Kate is no saint, But SHE ACTUALLY PARENTED those kids.
She did all her bashing of Jon back when they first split. She’s getting her payback now.
He just needs to stop talking to the press. Seriously. He’s no better than Kate at this point in regards to profiting of their children. Just shut the fuck up already.
I am curious if he has reached out , they or Kate make it well known they want no contact so he just gives them space. I’m sure they are VERY stuck. To not reach out to your other siblings they must feel very much like there is two sides and they must pick . I wouldn’t mention the twins at all even how he did in this . This is a mess and truly Kate and Jon are 100% (80/20) at fault and will be paying for therapy for decades.
This may be unpopular but the more he talks, the less I like him. He *is* the adult. At the very least, he should be texting or leaving a vmail once a week (to each of his children) to let them know he’s thinking of them, regardless of whether or not they choose to respond.
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But how would he contact them? They would have to give him their cell phone numbers, or get them from Kate. Assuming she allows them to have cell phones. I doubt she would allow or facilitate him calling them. If he wrote letters I’m sure she monitors the mail. Maybe he could email but you know she monitors that too. “In the name of safety.”
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I find it ironic that he was so unhappy and hysterical about the kids being filmed and in the public eye. However, he seems to talking about them all the time and doesn’t seem to mind showing off the two kids in his custody. That, to me is hypocritical. And, I am in agreement that he needs to just be quiet. It is pretty sneaky and underhanded of him to cry “poor me” yet continually demean and degrade their mother. Maybe that is why they don’t want to talk with him,
I would think at 16 they all have a cell phone and access to the internet. It’s not hard to get in contact if they want to. Again, Jon is supposed to be the adult. Maybe the other kids are resentful of him and don’t feel that he loves them enough to make contact. I’m sure Kate does talk badly about all of them but I have a feeling they are old enough to know how manipulative she can be. It’s sad for the kids.