Jon Gosselin Halts Taping of His Kids
TLC network has shut down filming of the children on "Jon & Kate Plus 8" after receiving a cease-and-desist order from their father, Jon Gosselin.
In a statement, the network said production would remain suspended "pending further conversations" between both Gosselins, who are parents of young twins and sextuplets. Filming not directly involving the kids continues, TLC said Thursday.
"It appears that Jon's priority is Jon and his interests," his estranged wife, Kate Gosselin, said in a statement on Thursday. "My priority remains our children and their well being."
The Insider Web site reported Thursday that Gosselin demanded through his lawyers that the TLC production crew vacate the property of the family home in Pennsylvania.
In its statement, TLC said it remained "deeply disappointed at his continued erratic behavior. He and the family were shooting as recently as last Friday, without incident. ..."
"Despite Jon Gosselin's repeated self-destructive and unprofessional actions, he remains under an exclusive contract with TLC," the network said.
On "The Early Show" Thursday, Lara Spencer, host of "The Insider," said that "Gosselin and his lawyer tell "The Insider' exclusively that Jon and Kate both own the property where the show is being shot. Jon has joint custody of the kids and is able to make decisions about their welfare. He deemed it was not in the best interest of the children's welfare to continue with production of the show."
She also reported that Gosselin was not told in advance and learned only from news reports of the producers' decision to focus the show on his wife and rename it "Kate Plus Eight."
The Gosselins filed for divorce in June, after weeks of reports of marital discord.
In her statement, Kate Gosselin said, "I'm saddened and confused by Jon's public media statements. Jon has never expressed any concerns to me about our children being involved in the show and, in fact, is on the record as saying he believes the show benefits our children and was taping on Friday with the kids."
On Monday, TLC announced that the weekly series would be renamed "Kate Plus Eight," with a reduced involvement by Jon Gosselin.
In her statement, Kate Gosselin said, "I do the show for my family because I believe it provides us opportunities we wouldn't otherwise have. Jon used to share that belief until as recently as the day the network announced the name change of the show and indicated that Jon would have a lesser role in the show."
Gosselin's lawyer, Mark Jay Heller, did not immediately return calls to The Associated Press.