Jon Gosselin Hopes to 'Rebuild' Relationship With His Kids After Custody Battle With Kate Gosselin Ends
Jon Gosselin says that he hopes to "rebuild" a relationship with his kids now that the custody battle between himself and ex-wife Kate Gosselin has ended. The sextuplets that the couple shares — Alexis, Collin, Joel, Hannah, Leah, and Aaden — are all 18. This effectively ends the custody battle that Jon and Kate have been engaged in since their divorce in 2009. The couple, who married in 1999, also share older twin daughters Mady and Cara, 22.
"I am relieved that court is over and I can focus on rebuilding my relationships with my children who now live in North Carolina and New York," Jon, 46, told Us Weekly. "It's a very freeing feeling to not have to worry about lawsuits from Kate and really opens the door for me to reach out to my other children. I truly hope for the best." Jon added, "The kids are full grown adults and unfortunately we missed those opportunities when they were growing up. With that said, there are many events coming up like the kids' graduations, and hopefully seeing my ex and my other children isn't awkward but instead a new beginning."
The new comments from Jon come months after his son Collin spoke exclusively with ET's Kevin Frazier, recalling the difficult time he had during his early teen years after being institutionalized. "It was definitely hard, like, not being in the media to kind of explain everything 'cause, you know, I wanted to take time for myself and I wasn't able to give the truthful answers," he shared at the time. "I mean, there were just things out there, you know, not my words -- other people's words. It was tough, but, you know, it's good now to be able to put my own word out there."
The 18-year-old also shared that around 2016, he was involuntarily checked into two different mental health facilities. "Institution -- scary place, but I learned a lot about myself," he said, eventually explaining why he reached out to his father for help. "I was in a dark place mentally," Collin recalled. "I think being in a place like that does more damage than it helps you."
Additionally, during his conversation with Frazier, Collin also revealed that he hasn't seen most of his siblings in years. Collin's estrangement from his mom and siblings started, he says, when Kate admitted him to a mental health facility. It was originally believed that she did this in 2017, but new comments from the teen indicate it was earlier. "I have not spoken with my siblings in probably five or six years now," Collin shared. "It's tough."