Jon Gosselin Opens up About ‘Volatile’ Visit With 8 Children

Former reality star, Jon Gosselin is in the early stages of bettering his relationship with his children, but it hasn’t been easy for the father of eight.

During WE tv’s Real Love panel in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Us Weekly reports that the Jon & Kate Plus 8 alum revealed he has been struggling through the motions of fatherhood amid a turbulent relationship with his ex-wife, Kate Gosselin.

While it’s been about a year since he saw all eight of his children together, the 41-year-old father told the publication that their last meeting was just “not good.”

“It was just volatile and a lot going on,” Gosselin admitted. “It was just not a good time. Like, forced custody and all that kind of stuff.”

Gosselin and Kate, 43, were married for a little more than a decade before the pair split in 2009. Though the couple was initially awarded shared physical custody of their children — with Kate having full custody of their 14-year-old sextuplets, Collin, Hannah, Leah, Alexis, Joel and Aaden; along with their twins, Cara and Mady — the family dynamics changed up this year after it was discovered Hannah moved in with her father this past February.

However, things took a turn after it was reported Gosselin was awarded temporary sole custody of Collin. Gosselin previously told Us it was the best decision for Hannah and Collin.

“She wanted her brother to come home,” Gosselin said of Hannah’s relationship with Collin, who was admitted to a residential program for children with behavioral problems prior to moving in with him.

It’s been a while since Gosselin and Kate divorced, but he admits the separation has been tough on the children through the years, divulging how some of the children continue to keep their distance from him.

“[Leah, Alexis, Joel and Aaden] aren’t talking to me, but they’re talking to Hannah. I don’t get involved now with what the kids … it’s what the kids want to do,” he told Us. “If they don’t want to talk to me, that’s fine, as long as they keep up with their sibling connections. Eventually, if they come around and they want to talk to me, that’s cool.”

When the publication inquired about his dynamic with twins, Cara and Mady, he was unsure of that direction, saying, “I don’t know. I hope so. You never know.”

The dad is not giving up on fixing things and is staying optimistic amid the struggles, assuring his kids that he is just a phone call away and wished, if it was a “perfect world,” he would have a “normal relationship” with them in terms of communication.

“It wouldn’t have to be all lovey-dovey. Just like, ‘How you guys doing? Where are you going to college?’ Maybe call me for advice. Like, hey, I’m thinking about going to this school, college, whatever,” he enthuses. “With Madelyn and Cara, because when I think back, like, I was part of their life a little, and then all of a sudden there was nothing, you know what I mean? And just with the other four, just like, ‘Hey, you guys wanna go bowling or something?’ So we can spend time all together… Just to start off small.”

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