Jon Gosselin is speaking publicly about the distance inside his own family. In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, the Jon and Kate Plus 8 alum said he hasn’t personally spoken to six of his eight children in years, describing them as“perfect strangers now.”He remains in contact with daughter Hannah and son Collin, and says he’s been estranged from Mady and Cara, now 26, for roughly 13 years. His message to the kids he’s lost touch with:“Be your own person. You are all adults now. Form your own opinions.”
The comments arrive at a charged moment. Collin Gosselin, 22, just published a memoir, In The Shadow of Eight, that alleges physical abuse by Kate Gosselin; she has long denied the claims. Meanwhile, Netflix announced a documentary about the family featuring interviews with Jon, Collin and Hannah, which means the Gosselin story is about to get a fresh round of public scrutiny.
For a family that became famous for raising eight kids on camera, this is the next phase: the children as adults, speaking for themselves, whether or not the parents agree with what they say. It raises the bigger question of what happens to reality TV kids once they grow up and start their own narrative. Do you think the documentary will help or hurt the family’s chances at healing?
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Local Lawton
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