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'Jon & Kate' separate

The 'Plus 8' stars confirm they are divorcing

By Toni Fitzgerald
Jun 23, 2009

Yesterday Jon and Kate Gosselin made official what everyone’s suspected for weeks: They are divorcing.

The stars of TLC’s hit show “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” and parents of 8-year-old twins and 5-year-old sextuplets, announced the decision, fittingly, during last night’s show.

TLC had been teasing some major developments in the episode, and the couple did not disappoint. During the first half, they attempted to put together new playhouses for their kids, alternating between strained silence and fighting over where the playthings would be set up.

More than halfway through the episode, they acknowledged that they are separating, with Jon and Kate separately detailing their feelings.

“I need to turn the page,” Kate said, insisting that the separation would have occurred whether or not the couple had opened their home to the TV cameras.

“I don't hate Kate,” said Jon, who has been dogged by allegations of infidelity as the couple became tabloid mainstays over the past four months.

The two said they will take turns living with the kids at their Wernersville, Pa., house. The divorce papers were filed yesterday in Pennsylvania.

As for the big question of whether the show will continue, it’s a yes. The two parents will be filmed separately, much as they have this entire fifth season.

“The show must go on,” Kate said.

Some have criticized the Gosselins for allowing their drama to play out on screen rather than turning off the cameras to work on their marriage. And they are being investigated for state labor law violations for allowing their kids to be filmed.

But that marital stress has been a ratings boon for TLC. The fifth-season premiere last month drew 9.8 million total viewers, the most-watched program in network history and the most-watched reality show ever on basic cable.

Though recent episodes had dipped below 3 million, as the Gosselins stopped addressing tabloid rumors and instead talked about everyday life with the kids, last night’s much-hyped news will likely result in another ratings spike.

Toni Fitzgerald is a staff writer for Media Life.	© 2009 Media Life Magazine

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