Jon Gosselin also told Dr. Oz that TLC paid for Kate’s legal fees in their divorce — but he had to pay $1.7 million of his own money.
Jon Gosselin, 42, slammed his ex-wife Kate Gosselin, 44 in a new interview on Dr. Oz! The former reality star opted to stop appearing on television in 2009, ending the hugely successful series Jon & Kate Plus 8 in its original format in 2009 — but walking away wasn’t as simple as it sounds. “I literally hung a note on my gate saying if any crew members show up, I’ll have you arrested,” Jon revealed in the interview. “[TLC] sued me for breach of contract.” The show eventually continued as a series of specials in 2010 under the name Kate Plus 8 focused on Kate’s life as a single mom post-divorce. Filming was haulted, however, when Jon’s lawyers issued a cease and desist that stopped TLC’s cameras from continuing to shoot at their family home.
Jon continued to spill details about life after leaving the show, including shocking information about how much he spent on legal fees after the network sued him. “I pretty much did bankrupt myself, but I did for moral reasons obviously,” he continued to Dr. Oz. “I spent $1.7 million in lawyers fees, from when TLC sued me and my divorce. Kate, on the other hand, TLC paid for her attorneys in the lawsuit and for her divorce.” While the information hasn’t been verified by the network, Kate did continue to appear in specials featuring her and her kids around the sextuplets turning 10, her milestone 40th birthday, and most recently, documenting now 18-year-old twins Mady and Cara‘s move to New York City for college. In addition, she also starred in her own spinoff Kate Plus Date following her adventures as a single mom looking for love and competed on Dancing with the Stars.
While Kate has maintained that it’s “up to” the kids if they want to continue with any future filming or specials, Jon remains convinced that she’s driven by fame. “So, I financed [my divorce] by myself and she was financed by the network,” he added. “I didn’t understand at first why, but now I understand why — all she wanted was legal custody of my kids to sustain her lifestyle and their lifestyle. And it gets all warped. That’s fame though, it just twists things around.”
The family has been at odds for years, with Hannah and Collin, now 15, choosing to live with their dad. Alex, Aaden, Leah and Joel have chosen to remain with their mom, while 18-year-olds Mady and Cara — now living in New York — refuse to speak to their dad at all. “He should maybe spend some time thinking about why we don’t want to see him, and maybe realize that if he ever does want a relationship with us, talking about us on TV is not the way to make that happen,” Mady revealed in an interview in 2016, adding that she “doesn’t have time for a toxic relationship.” Jon has accused Kate of “mentally abusing” their kids in the past, which she has vehemently denied.