Jon and Kate Gosselin File For Divorce

Couple Also Announces Plans To Separate In Heavily-Promoted Episode Of TLC Reality Series

(CBS/AP)  After months of speculation, it's now official: Jon and Kate Gosselin have filed for divorce.

People magazine reported Monday that documents to initiate a legal split were filed that afternoon at the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown, Penn.

That development was followed by a heavily-promoted episode of the couple's TLC reality series "Jon & Kate Plus 8" Monday evening in which the couple said they would separate.

The network had promised a "major announcement" from the couple, whose increasingly troubled 10-year marriage has dominated the series in recent weeks as well as fueling a firestorm of tabloid coverage. Published accounts have alleged infidelity by both partners, accusations they both deny.

The Gosselins' announcement raises new questions about the future of "Jon & Kate," which, now in its fifth season, is TLC's most popular series.

But both parents say the show will continue, with their segments of the show filmed separately.

The split comes after Jon Gosselin was reportedly seen looking at apartments in New York on Friday. Earlier than that, rumors of both Gosselins cheating have swirled (but have been denied) and the two have publicly acknowledged on their realtiy show, "Jon & Kate Plus 8," that they were having marital problems.

"We're navigating a difficult time," the couple said in a statement after the May 25 premiere of their show's fifth season, which brought in a record-breaking 9.8 million viewers. During that episode, Kate tearfully said, "Parents of multiples have triple the divorce rate. I was thinking we were going to beat that. I don't know if I can say that anymore."

[stickstone]

Many of the comments I've read are very harsh. Obviously Jon & Kate loved and cared about each other AND wanted to get along & raise their children together. However, their personalities are just so different. I have to admit when I first started watching them, I was embarassed by Kate's bossiness and "put down" remarks about her husband. I never found Jon to be a "wimp". I believe he attempted to be a peacemaker with his wife - but she didn't acknowledge him for that or possibly even recognize it? In the show, when she attempted to say something nice about, or to, him it was always condesending - which I also was embarassed by & would turn to another channel.
I applaud Jon for basically saying "I don't want to be treated with any more disregard, disrespect, or condesending platitudes, or be taken for granted."
However, it's Kate I feel really sorry for: I believe she doesn't have a clue about truely "loving" someone. To me she comes off as having gotten way to caught up in the "glamor" of becoming well known.
Some of the children seem to also appear to be caught up in the "glamor" of being "on TV". These children are not living an ordinary childhood - it is far glitzier than the average childhood and THAT - not their parents getting divorced - is what I think may be a detriment to them in the final analysis.
To keep the show going may prove to be watching a train wreck.

[wasrinrime]

Lets face it, once the offers and big money started rolling in - everything that they morally stood for rolled out the door. Personally, I feel bad for the children that will know in time how this all turned out and why, and then have to live with that sitgma - Nice parenting!

[mellie1957]

Bring back Ozzie & Sharon Osbourn !!

[stinger1z]

Everyone watched them, the show would have been cancelled if people didn't watch. I didn't care about them and never watched the show. Let them figure this stuff out on their own instead of being coddled for money. You cheat and get caught, you get tossed out on your butt. It's really that simple.

[andie52]

TLC is having trouble getting enough footage to put together a show, what makes you think that when they do get enough, it is going to be anything worth watching. Come on TLC, enough already. Save some face, show some dignity and give these kids a chance for some privacy. Their parents certainly don't care. Now Jon needs enough to pay for his million dollar apartment in Trump Plaza and Kate needs enough money to keep her pathetic lifestyle still going. I for one, will never watch it and if you read the blogs, this show will be down the tubes in a matter of weeks.

[fabrat1]

I'm already sick of the show and I haven't watched it since it's second season. The show is boring and the way she has always treated her husband has been pitiful. If the show is canceled I would care one bit. It's crazy that they make $75,000 per episode.

[sstexas2step]

"The show must go on." GIVE ME A BREAK! Get your priorities straight woman! And by the way, tuck your boobs back in!

[Questionews]

Kate had better keep any potential boyfriends from ever seeing the show. Any guy that sees her performance on the show & media comments will be running for the exit like the Roadrunner. She's just an awful person.

[rushlimpdrug]

Not having watched the show, what is the point of the show?

I can't see anyone wasting time watching the problems of
another family.

I'm sure many of the viewers have family problems of their
own.

Instead of watching other people's problems, these viewers
could spend the time taking care of their own problems, but
then that would require some thinking and work. Nevermind.

[bluharley]

You've got to be kidding? They're going to air it with the kids and all? They should be charged with child endangerment and child abuse.

[Oregon_State_OSU]

Good Ridance Jon and Kate.

Happy Happy Joy Joy !

[mollybee5]

They should take this show off TV. Divorce is a private matter and to put those children in front of the world while they are dealing with their parents divorce is not right. If the parents wont do it, and we know they wont, then TLC should show a little class and do the right thing.

[nbenn514]

Well, Kate got EXACTLY what she's wanted all along - total control. She drove away her family, her friends and now her husband. Won't be long before the kids will be gone too. She kept saying how the house belongs to the kids - not her or Jon. BS. It's HER house. I'm sure the kids would prefer a smaller home with both parents in it like they had before. At least Jon will be able to maintain a good relationship with the kids - Kate's gone ALL the time and I'm sure she's going to use Jon as the nanny. It's unfortunate they have so many kids but the change in her from the first show until this one leaves me believing she needs to take 80% of the responsibility for this mess.

[docpeter1953]

From above, "But both parents say the show will continue, with their segments of the show filmed separately."

_____________________________

Yeah right!

Bye bye John & Kate.

Usher in Octomom, we now have an open time slot for this wacko and all the really strange and desperate people who want to watch her.

[ekucrew]

Please Jon Gosselin.... get a hair transplant or just shave your head. How stupid it looks to have a ring of hair that is teased up and a bald head behind that resembles a frisbee! What's with the earrings in both ears at his age? ROTFLOL!

[yeswecan2]

I am sooooooooooo tired of hearing about this couple. Why are they so special? Every married couple have problems of some kind. They should divorce and move on.

[hungry1968-15]

Where's the "Defense of Marriage Act" people screaming and crying about this family of ten being broken apart?

Why aren't they screaming and yelling about "reality television" and the painful and devastating effect it has on "holy matrimony"?

Who cares? I wish they would just cancel the show and forget about these people.

[get_down]

I've never watched their show. Nor do I ever intend to watch it either. Life is too short to watch this kind of trashy tales. Frankly speaking - I'm enjoying my own life - live free and enjoy baby-sitting my Grand-kid whenever I can. This kind of show can simply go away and away...

[enough-already]

I'm with you- I've never watched it, and I never will. What totally amazes me is that so many people DO watch it. I'll never understand why. I don't know these people, why should I care about their lives, and their kids?

[tugar04]

Tues. 6/23/09
JUST WHO DO THESE PEOPLE THINK THEIR KIDDING ?

AND THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT.. "We're splitting, but the show will go on" !!!

They: (The Gosselins) "will do anything for their kids!" They're doing it for their own pockets and they know it!

If they give up, or lose this TV show, they will find themselves losing their new "HOLLYWOOD LIFESTYLES," meaning: They will both have to actually go out and GET JOBS, and HOLD ON FOR DEAR LIFE, to keep what they now have, ie., the new home, paid vacations, etc.

They're "doing it for their kids"... THIS HAS TO BE THE BIGGEST PIECE OF NONSENSE I'VE HEARD THIS YEAR !

I'm tuning in the TRAVEL CHANNEL, its definitely more interesting then this nonsense, showing kids that's growing up and are not that cute anymore, with lazy parents who have discovered, they don't have to work, if they can make it off: "THE KIDS"!