Looking forward to the future. Jon Gosselin is thrilled that his kids are becoming legal adults, ending his long custody battle with ex-wife Kate Gosselin.
“I am relieved that court is over and I can focus on rebuilding my relationships with my children who now live in North Carolina and New York,” Jon, 46, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, May 3. “It’s a very freeing feeling to not have to worry about lawsuits from Kate and really opens the door for me to reach out to my other children. I truly hope for the best.”
The former Jon & Kate Plus 8 stars share eight children: twins Mady and Cara, both 22, and sextuplets Alexis, Collin, Joel, Hannah, Leah and Aaden, all 18.
They tied the knot in 1999 before landing their reality show in 2007 (after two Discovery Health specials in 2005 and 2006). Kate, now 48, filed for divorce in June 2009 after 10 years of marriage and was awarded full legal custody of the duo’s kids. However, Hannah and Collin moved in with their father in 2018. Jon, for his part, has remained estranged from his other six children after his split from Kate.
“The kids are full grown adults and unfortunately we missed those opportunities when they were growing up,” Jon told Us. “With that said, there are many events coming up like the kids’ graduations, and hopefully seeing my ex and my other children isn’t awkward but instead a new beginning.”
The Philadelphia native sued Jon last year for $132,875 in child support. An insider exclusively told Us in August 2022 that the case was dropped after evidence to the contrary was provided. “There is proof in legal documents from June 2018 that show the Superior Court of PA quashed Kate’s appeal for Jon to pay her $132K,” the source said. “They quashed the whole thing so he never owed her any money.”
While the legal battles between Jon and Kate are finally over, so is any chance at building a relationship as coparents. “At this point the chance of coparenting with my ex has likely come to an end,” Jon told Us.
The DJ said Hannah and Collin have “moved on” from the family drama as well. “There is a sense of relief for me that they can move on, into adulthood without the stigma of mom and dad attending family court,” he explained.
Jon previously slammed Kate for alienating their children from him, and he revealed that he hasn’t talked to some of them in several years. However, he hopes to reconnect with them as adults.
“The good news is, I travel so much for DJing in the areas that my kids reside, I hope the location convenience alone with spark interest to meet in person,” he shared.
He’s booked and busy as the man behind the music. “I feel extremely honored and blessed to have a packed schedule for DJing this summer!” Jon said. “I am looking forward to playing for Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at two of their venues — The Yard and Bally’s Beach Bar. Shoutout to Near Dark Entertainment for the bookings.”
He added, “I feel that I have worked really hard and put the time in with my music to allow myself the opportunities that are occurring now for my DJ career. [I hope to] let the past be past and look forward to a DJ career that I now can focus on, because my heart is in the right place, and I finally have a wonderful support system with friends and family in my corner supporting my music career.”
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Reporting by Nate Grant
