When Jon and Kate Plus 8 first aired it was a nice show. I enjoyed watching it and actually liked the parents as much as the kids. The twin girls and the sextuplets were (and still are) adorable kids.
However, since the show originally aired the family changed – a lot. It wasn’t as visible the first few seasons as it has been since last season and especially this season (and all those scandalous rumors).
In the beginning they struggled and didn’t receive as many freebies. They had a nice middle-class house and now live in an over $1 million estate mansion. However, now they are getting up to $75,000 per episode in a 20-episode season on their TLC show totally $1.5 million a season. That doesn’t include Kate’s book deal or public speaking engagements. That also doesn’t include all of the freebies they get either. Who knows how much all of that totals?!?
As stated in US Weekly, here is a sample of just some of the swag they've scored:
- Free beds
- Front-loader washing machines
- New furniture
- Free solar panels for "Going Green" episode
- Clothes from Gymboree and Gap
- Mady & Cara birthday at American Girl Place (2 dolls and birthday package for 2 adults & 2 kids): $710
- Trip to Florida Key's for Jon's 30th birthday
-Tickets to Dutch Wonderland amusement park: $309.50
-1/2 an organic cow from Natural Acres Farm: $1,395.00
-Tickets to Philadelphia Zoo: $104.00
-Tickets to Walt Disney World: $654.00 per day
- Utah house rental (estimate: $5,000), ski lift tickets $72 for six days), ski school lessons ($140 per child)
- Upright piano, which they got rid of when they moved into their new $1.1 million home : $5,550-$6,350
- Violin: $100-$300- Old house re-carperted
-Crayola Factory Tour: $90.00
-Teeth Whitening (for Jon & Kate): $1,310 (average price for 2 adults)
-Hair plugs (Jon): $5,200 (average cost)
-Sesame Street Place tickets: $509.50
-Day with Thomas the Tank Engine: $180.00
-Beach trip to North Carolina, house rental, Jeep tour
-Sight & Sound Christian theatre tickets: $236.00
-SkyBox at Phillies game
-LegoLand tickets: $550.00
-San Diego Zoo tickets: $278.00
-Grand Wailea Resort (Hawaii) for 2008 vow renewal: Suites range from $725-$1,080 per night.
-2 purebred German Shepherd puppies: $1,000-$3,000 per dog
- Please Touch Museum tickets: $150.00
- Giants grocery store: $5,000 in gift cards and a year's supply of diapers
Quite a change in lifestyle for them. As stated in that article, “Kate, who grew up in a trailer park and didn't go on her first airplane ride until her honeymoon to Disney World, now flies only first class for speaking engagements (mostly paid for by churches), sells signed photos of her kids for $20 a pop at appearances, and received a free tummy tuck after giving birth (Jon received a free hair transplant). A family source says while pregnant with the sextuplets, she grew "obsessed" with how many goodies the famed McCaughey septuplets received in 1997.
Jon, now a stay-at-home dad, was fired from his job at Style Craft Corp in 2004 after "spending much more time" on a "quest" for freebies than working, the company's owner, David Rothermel, tells Us. (Rothermel finally has spoken out after growing furious at the couple's well-worn claim that he was fired because the company didn't want to insure his family.)
"Instead of keeping the attention on their kids, they've let the attention turn to money and fame," says a family source of Jon and Kate.”
Money and fame does seem to be all Kate is after and Jon just wants to be out of the public eye. Is that a rational reality for them though?
US Weekly first spotted Jon Gosselin with Deanna Hummel – without his wedding ring – in his car outside Legends Lounge at 2AM on April 19, 2009. They also claim that five sources confirmed to them that Jon has had a 3-month affair with the 23 yr old schoolteacher.
Kate has also been rumored to be with her bodyguard. However, I am just not buying that story. In the interviews on the show this season it seems much more like she was the one trying to keep the marriage together and that Jon was the one who abandoned her.
Who is to blame? It isn’t our place to judge that. It is a very sad thing that has happened and they should have left the show to work on their marriage in my opinion. Free stuff and money should not have ranked higher on their priorities than working on their marriage.
Their kids should have mattered more to them. Also, their “schedule” of switching weeks in their house so the kids don’t have to move is not a good arrangement in my opinion either. How horrible will it be for the ex to have the new girlfriend or boyfriend over and staying in their room when they switch weeks? I just don’t get it.
TLC has decided that after the couple announced their separation and then divorce on last night’s show, that it will put the show on hiatus until August 8th.
They stated that, "TLC continues to support the Gosselin family and will work closely with them to determine the best way to continue to tell their story as they navigate through this difficult time," the statement read.”
Wouldn’t canceling the show and letting the family go through this without being filmed be what is best for everyone involved? These are not happy memories the kids will look back on and reflect anything positive from – why do that to them?
What are your thoughts on all of this?
11 comments:
Ive been all up in these rumors since the start. I FIRMLY believe John didnt cheat on Kate. I DO however believe Kate was mad as shit he was hanging w/ the teacher chick. All in all I have watched John get trampled on by Kate for like 5 years. Im glad he finally grew some balls and told his wife off. she has been on his shit for YEARS! I do blame Kate 100%. She is the queen of all bitches lol. Shes always like Woe is me, she knows shes about to lose her cash cow and she cant deal with it. John never wanted this he says (he shouldve put the smackdown then, but he didnt, he hadnt grown said balls yet) I honestly think Kate is un-dateable, a mega bitch w/ 8 kids? She will get dates though because people wanna get on TV, its a sad state of affairs, and watching that show is depressing as shit, having gone through a real divorce I do feel sorry for them because theirs has played out on TV, go team JOHN!!!!
I've never watched the show. But, it seems like the parents is preoccupied with fame, and the parents have allowed that preoccupation to interfere with their family life.
I think it'd be best if they stepped out of the spotlight and dealt with their issues. Instead, it appears they will ride this thing out and continue to take in the cash ... only question is will they take the time to ever look at their lives and get the priorities straightened out? Or in about 15 years do we get eight new reality shows starring these kids which talk about how messed up each of them is?
I never watched this show, just saw them in the tabloids a few times. So i don't hae any impression really og wheter Kate is bitchy or not, if she walked all over her husband or anything.. I saw them once on Oprah, and they seemed like a happy couple.
How ever, I think everybody seems to be forgetting about the kids. 8 innocent children who love their mum and their dad equally. 8 children who soon will be old enough to read all the nasty stuff written about both the parents. If the parents can make it work to share the house, then maybe that is best for the kids.
It's just sad. I wish their "announcement" would have been that they were cancelling the show to work on their marriage. But no, apparantly fame and money comes before love....
If they really cared for their kids they would have cancelled the show and worked on their marriage! There is still time for them to do so but I do not see that happening.
I think that I'm glad I never watched that show.
It was a way to manipulate their Children.
They don't deserve to raise those poor kids.
SO sad!? That's all I can say! In a nutshell once someone says "show me the money" the romance starts to die sorta immediately. This so-called "show" is wrong on so many levels. I am not a fan of reality TV but admit it's like watching a train wreck or hurricane.. or.. you get my drift!? Are we so desperate for content that we'll take junk and pay through the nose for it? In reality the saddest part is how the kids are forever changed for the worse during their most important formative years. Thank you Sheri for sharing your insight and blogging talents!!
It is sad. I am tired of hearing they are putting the children first. I think it is time to call it what it is. Two parents exploited their children, made a crapload of money along with gaining a lot of perks that they were unwilling to give up to try and save the marriage and/or spare the children further harm from it all playing out in the limelight. Good parents do not put their children through unnecessary pain. The divorce may have been inevitable the limelight can end.
It upset me SO much last night to see that!! I have loved this show for a long time and when they renewed their vows last year they seemed like they would be together forever! After last night though, when Kate actually said she WANTED John to like explode and tell her WHAT he is feeling, I started feeling like Kate's side WAS the one to be on. I have loathed her bossiness over him but he has NEVER spoken up before, She isn't a mind reader so he DID need to share his feelings!! Did you see the new diamonds in his earlobes, the dude is having a mid-life crisis at 32!?!!
I hate this new arrangement, I don't think it will work. I DO hope to see the show continue, not only because I love these kids, but the cameramen and people have become loved people to these kids, do we really want to take everything away from them?!! They know and love their boom guys, etc and this money WILL help them when they all need to go to college and stuff.
Do I think JON and KATE have taken advantage of freebies and such? YES. They are buying things that aren't neccesary or insisting on things that are not neccesary. Kate does not go on THAT many engagements and to demand 1st class?!! Uhm NO! And from churches? That is horrible! I never loved the new house, when Kate said last season she couldn't hear the kids, I thought DANGEROUS!!
It is so upsetting!!
I really didn't watch this show. I caught one episode a long time ago and I didn't like Kate. That was enough for me. I'm not surprised that they are splitting because money can do that sometimes. It sounds like these kids need to be more the focal point.
I've never really watched the show, occasionally I'd sit down for a few minutes with my mom and watch it, but enough is enough! They were a great family and fame and money ruined it all. I don't really have an opinion on whos to blame because honestly, if they really cared and loved each other, they wouldve have quit the show! Regardless of the rumors or the way they're behaving, I think they should come face to face with their own problems instead of letting the world see and judge them.
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