Over the summer, as the divorce date loomed, things got a little messy between the octoparents. October came and went with no finalization in sight. The Gosselins have been in and out of court all fall, but not much has been decided when it comes to untying the knot.
Now it’s looking like they will have to wait until early 2010 to have their divorce finalized.
]]>In fact, it seems like Jon and Kate are trying to hit every divorcing parent’s “do nots” in the guide to raising well-adjusted children. They’ve been petty to each other, had nasty fights, and most certainly dig at each other’s feelings every public chance they get. And with all the publicity this divorce has been getting, the kids will be able to relive this turbulent time just by Googling it.
ABC has an article talking about how divorced parents can minimize the trauma that having parents at odds with each other can induce on the kids. It’s a class focused on helping estranged parents focus on their children, instead of the divorced spouse. Perhaps Jon and Kate can take a stab at trying these simple rules. Their children would thank them.
]]>Our hearts go out to the judge’s family during this hard time in their lives.
]]>But who wants to watch a household activity so mundane we all avoid doing it ourselves (just look at my “dumping grounds”), when we can just tune in to any interview-based show and get the real action? The money he-said-she-said debate has no end in sight as of this moment. The Gosselins have a rumored 11 bank accounts squirreled away, so there seems to be a little confusion as to which one Jon has been pilfering. Now Jon is claiming to have irrefutable proof that the supposed $230,000 withdrawal never happened. He’s waving around more bank statements than there are signs at a health reform protest rally. All are going to prove he only took the pocket change sum of $22,000.
Given the Gosselins’ love for the camera, I’m sure we’ll continue hearing about this little drama as it unfolds. Kate, it’s your move.
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Where Jon has the money stashed is anyone’s guess. But rumor has it that this ill-conceived move (though what action on Jon’s part has been well though out?) was spearheaded by his lawyer. Sounds like Jon needs a new lawyer.
This is just one more battle in the ongoing spat over the couple’s joint bank account. NY Daily News has this story:
After TLC announced the Gosselin family’s popular reality show would be relaunched from “Jon and Kate Plus 8″ to “Kate Plus Eight,” leaving Jon without a job, Kate says her bitter ex emptied their shared account – which is used to pay bills and “contains all of our liquid money” – and only leaving $1,000.
“When you’ve left your children and their mother without the funds to lay for the roof over their head, it’s not acceptable,” said Kate, 34. “I need that money to provide for them. We were in the position after our sextuplets were born that we could not pay our bills. We did the show to provide a better life for them. Never did I think I’d be back in the same position.”
Under the rules of the Gosselin divorce arbitrator’s guidelines, neither spouse is allowed to take money from the joint account.
However, a couple days before she filed for divorce in June, Kate says Jon withdrew a significant amount of money from the account before the arbitrator’s rules were made. This led to Kate, who is the family’s primary bill payer, taking $100,000 out of the same account on the advice of her lawyer.
“I removed it to keep it safe,” she told Vieira. “I had taken $100,000 and put it aside safely so I could buy my kids food if needed.”
After the couple agreed to accept the decisions made by an arbitrator, Kate returned her half of the money to the account.
However Kate says Jon, 32, spent his $50,000 on “erratic purchases” for himself.
]]>“[This time will] enable Kate and me to restore our relationship as cooperative parents and to open up our lines of communication…Even though we were heading for a divorce, it appeared that Kate had been suffering from this divorce as much as I had. That’s why I asked my attorney to put the brakes on this divorce so I could try to regain control over the future of our family. So Kate and I could join on a cooperative course that would benefit our family—not destroy it.”
How many 180’s does this make? Jon just can’t make up his mind about his feelings towards the mother of his children. First he’s going on about how he’ll always love her, then a few weeks later spitting fire and despising her. But now we’re swinging the other way again. As rumor has it, Jon is now calling for an extension of the divorce filings. What, will all the Vegas flings not be as much fun when he’s officially single?
Given his usual behaviour patterns, I’m sure it won’t be long before Jon is screaming for the divorce to get back on track.
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So, Jon and Kate Gosselin feel great pain each time they have to leave their children because of their legal separation. Kate says viewers have no idea how hard it is. Jon says it is so “stressful.”
I didn’t have time to write about America’s most discussed and dissed TV family Monday night, because I had to review the new Jay Leno show. But I did see it, and the overall theme of Jon and Kate feeling the pain of single parenting only felt more outrageous after I had some time to think about it.
Too bad if they feel sad. How do you think the children feel each time they see a parent leaving at the end of their temporary stay — and the level of parental support drops by at least half? And who is responsible for them having to leave — Jon to his Manhattan condo and Kate to her mysterious “elsewhere,” which some folks still think is a condo in Maryland despite Kate and the unnamed “source” who say it isn’t?
I really was put off by the producers trying to play on viewer sympathy for Jon and Kate Monday and ignoring the kids’ feelings. I would hate to think how heart-breaking it would be if the kids’ could articulate and we could hear their feelings about what’s happening in this family.
But that’s all right if the kids are sad, isn’t it? We shouldn’t feel so bad about it that we don’t watch.
After all, they have tents and lanterns and cowboy outfits and popcorn machines — the best TLC money can buy (or the cable channel can take in tradeout for product placement). Oh, and they can call their dad up and ask him where he is and what he’s doing. And as Jon said Monday night, “And I’m like, ‘I’m walking on Broadway’ ….”
And do you think they might be wishing you were there, Jon, instead of walking on Broadway?
But let’s all feel sorry for Jon and Kate.
]]>I’ve been perusing the popular opinion forums and blogs, and it sounds like Jon and Kate Plus 8 has really lost a following. While everybody loves a train wreck, many people just seem sick of the drama. And not just sick of the parental-based drama, but sick of seeing these beautiful children figuratively stepped on. They’re stuck in the middle and that’s not healthy. But as far as a viewer base goes, will it matter if there is a strong decline in ratings? I found an article talking about the relevancy of Jon and Kate’s divorce experience to the general populace, and it had this to say about viewer numbers.
“Goldberg declined to comment on advertiser pullout, but industry analysts predict that Jon & Kate Plus 8 will have no trouble finding advertisers as long as TLC can produce a reasonably credible version of a family in the process of separation and divorce. The reason for that: The show’s audience was so large by the standards of basic cable during the past season that even if one-third or one-half return, the show will be profitable.”
If that’s the case, I guess all of us who have sworn off watching the new season of Jon and Kate won’t make one iota of a difference on the bottom line of profit. Huh.
If you are interested in reading the rest of the article, here’s the link. It’s a relatively thought out article addressing the idea that Jon and Kate can now provide divorcees with something relatable. I think the author has some points on how that could be true, but I still (personally) think that the scale of the Jon and Kate drama puts the pair on an unrelatable level. Yes, Jon and Kate are human, and they are going through a common situation (we’ve all either gone through a divorce in the family or have friends who have). But when you add cameras, photo shoots, and network sponsors (with all the perks), I really do think you lose the ability to relate to your audience, and vice versa. I guess we will just have to wait and see.
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