'Jon & Kate Plus 8' stars to divorce

Jon and Kate ready to litigate? After months of speculation, the famed reality couple from TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8" is heading to divorce court. 

In a much-promoted episode of the hit series Monday night, Jon and Kate Gosselin, the parents of eight children, announced in separate interviews they were separating; seconds later, text appeared on a black screen to add that the couple had decided to "legally dissolve" their 10-year marriage. The children will stay in the house, the couple said, and Jon and Kate will switch off living there. 

And the show, apparently, will go on. TLC executives declined to comment Monday, but the Gosselins had committed to a full season of 40 episodes and indicated they would continue allowing camera crews access to film the family's life, just not with Mom and Dad there together.

The announcement was hardly a surprise. Viewers of the 2-year-old series had seen the couple's relationship deteriorate recently, and even people who don't watch have been exposed to their problems through an endless stream of headlines -- "Caught With Other Woman" and "Inside Jon's Prison" -- in the tabloid and celebrity media.

Monday's episode opened with the delivery of playhouses for the children. But tensions between the couple were evident -- even with something as simple as placement of the houses. More than 30 minutes passed, however, before the status of their marriage was addressed. 

"Kate and I have decided to separate," Jon said, sitting alone on the couch.

"I was too passive," Jon said of their relationship. "I just . . . went along with everything. Now I finally stood up on my own two feet and I'm proud of myself."

Kate offered her own outlook: "It's very uncomfortable at this point because Jon has a lot of anger towards me and I would love to discuss it with him but he won't talk to me," she said. Before the recent strife, they were just a couple trying to manage a set of twins and rambunctious sextuplets. The combination of his cool and calm demeanor and her sometimes controlling and overly organized personality were first seen on the one-hour special "Surviving Sextuplets and Twins" on Discovery Health in 2006. Its success eventually led to the TLC series. It centered mostly on the couple's home life in Pennsylvania and the idiosyncrasies involved with raising a gaggle of children. 

But with the success came their indoctrination into the tabloid swamp. And as the show entered its fifth season in May, the lens has focused less on the kiddie chaos and more on the turbulent marriage. 

Both Jon and Kate have been plagued by rumors of infidelity in recent weeks -- he with a 23-year-old teacher and she with her bodyguard. Added to the turmoil was an investigation by the Pennsylvania Labor Department into the show's possible violation of child labor laws, an allegation TLC has denied. 

When the show returned May 25 -- after dozens of tabloid covers, blurbs on blogs and snippets on TV gossip shows documenting the couple's woes -- viewers tuned in. 

The season premiere drew 9.8 million viewers, more than twice as many as had watched the fourth-season finale. But ratings for subsequent episodes have cooled, with last week's installment attracting only 2.9 million viewers.

--Yvonne Villarreal

Photo credit: AP / TLC

Comments

[Katie]

I used to absolutely LOVE this show. I used to watch the marathons upon marathons and still not get tired of it. Now....I will most likely never tune in again. Jon and Kate irritate me now because they proclaimed ad nauseum that everything-EVERYTHING- they do is for their children...it just sounds nice to say. Take it from someone whose parents separated before they were even born: it totally screws up your outlook on life. If they were REALLY thinking about their children Jon would get over himself and Kate would realize she pushes him around way too much. She needs to humble herself and allow him to run the household. If he's so proud that he finally stood up on his own 2 feet, then maybe he should carry that into the home-front instead of running away. For your kids? He himself said "I'm...excited. I'm only 32 it's a new chapter in my life." Jon, a word of advice-stop saying everything you do is for your children when comments like that fly out of your mouth. Apparently people underestimate the effects of divorce. This is horrible for the children long term. Trust me.

[Anyomous]

The End
By:MG

Two Seperate
Though Go Different Directions
Lonlieness Hardens Thee Hearts
Of Souls That Now Changed
They Face Flashes and Lens
Though Shares Their Lives
What Will Happen In The World,
When We Have To Face Twists And Turns
In Lives?

This poem is dedicated to John and Kate Plus Eight who filed for a divorce June 22,2009. I am now questioning the true meaning of love,if it is common so many American families seperate when they vowed they wouldn't stay apart.

[steff]

After reading the "rthefley" comment, it's no wonder he himself has been married twice...good luck to the 2ND wife!!! Typical for a man to think in a marriage he is never accountable for anything.

Now about Jon AND Kate...that's right smart guy...it takes the both of them to make or break the marriage. It's funny how Jon has complained in previous interviews that he never really got to live in his twentys and he's ONLY 32...yet he and Kate decided, that's right, they CHOSE together have these children. Even after the 1st set of twins, they chose to do invitro again. How can he complain now about an intentional decision they made then?

Just a quick question for Jon, what would you change, if you could in your marriage to have made it work. Do you even want to be married?

Yes, obviously Kate is not perfect, I'm sure she knows that. But what is a women to do when you have a husband who wants the control but makes the women take care of everything. I really wonder how different things would be had Kate been the passive one and let Jon act as the ring leader. Not to say that Jon did nothing, but we can see how she ran a house, I guess now it's his turn to show how he does it. He even refused to understand the concept of where the crooked houses would go until "the men" even told him it wasn't the best place for them. It wasn't that she wanted to control the situation, she just knew best, as much as that statement sucks....it's the truth. What is a woman to do when the man waits to step up to the plate 10 years later when all the damage is done...What are you proud of yourself for Jon?

There was a time when Kate was home with the kids all the time while Jon went to work. It's funny when the tables turned and Jon started staying home with them while Kate worked he felt he needed to go out to the bars for his "me time". When is that ever ok as a married man..or even woman at that. Shows where the priorities are. Maybe he became jelous that she enjoyed going to "work" and he hated all his jobs. I think we all know the bars weren't the cause of the split. But it didn't exatcly help either.

While they were married and both in the same house every night they never complained about how unhappy they were. It's too bad that recently with them not seeing each other everyday, it's only now that they have chosen divorce. Thankfully the kids are young enough, that this will be all they know. I don't exactly agree with divorce, but I do understand that sometimes IT IS best for the children to raise them with the parents "not together" than arguing and fighting every night in front of them. And no, we don't ask our children what they want, that is why we are the parents, to make the best decision for them. That's were responsiblity and priority comes in.

Bottom line...they are no different than any other family in America. Which one of any of us is perfect or can practice what we all are preaching to them. God forbid they go on TV to show us their crazy lives. It just goes to show...money, fame..family...kids...you can have everything you'd ever think you would need, and still be unhappy. I really do wish the both of them the very best. I hope Jon finds his happiness somewhere he hasn't looked yet and Kate knows her reward for being strong in all this will be comming very soon. Bend but don't break! As long as they both do the right thing for the sake of their children, that's what matters the most. God bless you all!

[Ryan]

It's sad to see this happen to all these wonderful children. Although I kind of seen it coming. I'm sure it happens in a lot of marriages where the father takes the back seat, than one day decides he wants to drive. By than it's too late and there is too much animosity built up towards his wife.

[patty]

I felt this was coming. I believe that Kate derived a contract 6 mos. ago (like her brother said). I think she has gotten very close to the bodyguard. I think that is why John is so mad at her because he seemed devoted to his family. I don't think John would have otherwise cheated even though she treated him very badly. Maybe now, he can have some "peace." She isn't taking enough blame for this. Divorce always affects kids, no matter what age they are. I think Kate is getting just what she really wants (especially, if it means a few more million thrown her way).

[Janine]

Botton Line--either you liked the show or you didn't!! Jon made a comment towards the end of the episode that said it all---"I finally stood up for myself--he said he was sad but also excited to see what is going to happen--I am only 32 years old!!!" What a loser father, husband and human being he is! He is so selfish! Everyone says she is the bossy-mean one--by the way, I didn't watch the show often so I am not a "fan of Kate's"! If he acted like a husband and a father in the first place and"started standing up for himself" before things got so bad---maybe they would have communicated and thought of a fews ways to work on the marriage instead of taking the easy way out and finally standing up for himself when it was time to be excited about his new life!! He showed his true self on the episode!!

[X-FAN]

I'm completely done with this "show'....what a fake UN-reality show! I fell in love with the kids and what I thought, and they tried to portray, as a happy family. The whole thing was a money grubbing scam, and at the center are the poor kids. In later years I'll bet we hear those kids say that they would have given up all the "crooked houses" in the world to keep their parents together. Jon & Kate "say" they will do anything for their kids, but in reality, they don't care about anything but money. Look at Jon and his new pierced ears, and skull t-shirt like a teenager would wear. Her too....wow.....she's really changed. LOVE is behavior NOT feelings.....that feeling you have at first when you meet someone, never stays. Like Jon says, his mother told him life is full of choices, and he's really going to regret this one. I blame them both....Jon was way too passive and someone had to steer the ship, so Kate OVER steered. Jon never did treat Kate like a wife, and she never treated him like a husband, but rather like one of the kids......he acted like one too. I'm done.....anyone seen Tori and Dean? They are just the cutest things and happy!! Jon and Kate remind me of the Jerry Springer show while over indulging their kids at the same time.

[Cindy Caverly]

I can really understand where Jon is at. I have always felt in watching the program that Kate is very controlling and I was concerned about her children. I am glad that Jon found His voice, and not always following Kate and what she wanted. I am concerned that this program might encourage that this behavior is O.K. towards your husband. She is very controlling and is not a model of what a wife and mother should be. She obviously does not see her problem. Please do not continue this program with Kate showing she is O.K. I understand where Jon says that there are people in Iraq losing their lives and the public is interested in what he eats. I have always felt the same way including Little People, Big World. They have only benefited from us watching them We struggle from pay day to pay day being regular size people. It has always bothered me that they can do trips like Hawaii and Disney World because we watch them. We alway dreamed of doing this stufff but can't because we can't afford it. The only way they can afford it is because we watch. We can't afford it. How can they? Good for Jon Gosselin for standing up for what is realistically what is true and right.

[Mary]

Hey Jon--who wants a man with no job and 8 kids? I should hope no woman in her right mind. Once you decide to have kids, you can't kick them to the curb because you are "excited" about the new chapter in your life. You better find some gainful employment because if the show cancels, you have child support for a good part of your life. You wont be able to be "excited" about your future because by the time you stop paying child support, you will be a middle aged man. And Kate--you could be stuck paying child support since you "have a career that I love" and apparently bring home the bacon.

[codiey]

Why don;t you all leave these peple alone and let them try and work things out them self;s,because you do not know how they live there life and ,YOU DO NOT HAVE EIGHT CHILDERN ALL UNDER THE AGE OF 8,LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS IN YOUR MOUTH!!!!!!

[Hoping for the Best]

I am so sad to see the split between Jon and Kate! I loved the show and admired how they could successfully maintain the marriage, career and children. I think that the glits and glamour got to them. Jon was loving the job and doing the show when they went to Hawaii and all the other vacation spots but hates what it comes with, I just don't think they were prepared for what the media could do to someone. I truly don't believe they would be divorced if the media did'nt run wild with rumors that in the end distroyed a marriage. Were Jon and Kate always pleasant with each other NO but I can not imagine what I would go through with eight kids!! I just hope for the kids sake that this split don't last. I hope that Jon and Kate both find themselves again b/c they clearly lost themselves through all of this!

[Connie]

Sign me up for Team Kate.

Although she's demanding and controlling, it appears that she's left with no choice but to be.

Kate seems to be the same person as she started out, except for her appearance. Jon's the one that's changed. It's obvious he's enjoying the attention of his little college girlfriends. He's the one that's failed the family, not Kate.

They should have named the show Kate Plus 9.

[Connie]

Just had an afterthought.....actually I should have said sign me up for *Team Children* because they're the ones that will have to struggle to come to grips with it all.....

[Rach Oprian]

Hey Kate this is Rach Oprian I will love your tv show Kate. Kate I am very very sorry about Jon . Kate you and your sweet kids are so cute. Kate please write me back soon. Love ya Kate Rach Oprian

[linda]

Why don;t you all leave these peple alone and let them try and work things out them self;s,because you do not know how they live there life and ,YOU DO NOT HAVE EIGHT CHILDERN ALL UNDER THE AGE OF 8,LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS IN YOUR MOUTH!!!!!!

Posted by: codiey | June 23, 2009 at 08:02 PM

Really? They put their life on TV for money. They also CHOSE to have 8 children they couldn't afford.

[sally smith]

Jon,

you are a total and complete wussy, how dare you say you think about your kids first, you are a little weeny to have not stood up for yourself years ago, now you stand up for yourself and get a divorce - think again bud, the grass is not always greener and someday you will feel that you made the wrong decison for not fighting for your whole entire family which includes your wife and the mother of your children - you dink! grow up - you have a family that you don't think you need to be a part of - shame on you! nobody is perfect and your wife has had to be your mother too!

[marc]

I hope Kate gets sent back to the trailer park she crawled out of! As for John, well I wish him well.They are both VERY diluted individuals and have no place on TLC!

[jaime snyder]

i am a huge fan of the show and i wish them luck separately and hopefully they stay friends for the kids sake. i just don't understand why counseling was never an option when 8 kids are involved. i think people give up too quickly now a days. and sadly i don't think they gave it their all either. it is sad. good luck.