Jon Gosselin Shares Heartbreaking Update on Relationship With Daughters Mady and Cara

Jon Gosselin is holding out hope that he will be able to repair his relationship with 19-year-old daughters Mady and Cara, but he isn't going to press the issue. When asked by InTouch Weekly Wednesday if he would be making a public plea for the twins to speak with him amid his ongoing feud with their mom, Kate Gosselin, Gosselin revealed he would be leaving the choice up to them as to the future of their relationship.

"No, they're adults now," he answered. "I think you just need maturity to figure out what … in your own mind what happened so you can figure it out."

That doesn't mean he isn't reaching out in private, Jon assured: "Yeah, I text them on their birthday but it's kind of like I have hoped that they'll talk to me again or whatever."

He continued, "But I just didn't do anything publicly because … Their last interview or whatever … it was like OK, I'm just not going to say anything. I get it, OK. Maybe I shouldn't say anything or post anything anymore. Let them live their lives. I know they're happy."

Gosselin appears to be referring to the last interview Mady and Cara gave publicly, to PEOPLE in August 2016, in which Mady said, "He makes it seem like we're being kept from him, which is insane … He should maybe spend some time thinking about why we don't want to see him, and maybe realize that if he ever does want a relationship with us, talking about us on TV is not the way to make that happen."

The former Jon and Kate Plus 8 dad has hopes when it comes to his relationship with his two oldest, adding that with the young women, "you have to have your own relationships so you can understand what happens in relationships sometimes."

As for the custody of the four children who still remain in Kate's custody — Hannah and Collin, 15, both live with their dad — Jon explained, "Custody's really up to the kids. And now I don't have a gag so I can talk about it … if Hannah wants to go, she goes. If Leah, is on Kate's side, supposedly, if she wants to come, she comes."

"It's supposed to be up to them. If Hannah really wants to go, I just drop her off or Kate comes to pick her up or whatever," he continued. "There's no … I can't control that. And that's the way it should be."

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