The Gosselin children are no longer toddlers in matching outfits — they’re now adults making their own decisions, and in some cases, keeping their distance. The twins are 24 and approaching 25, while the sextuplets will turn 21 this spring. But recent photos, business launches, and legal records suggest that not all of them have taken the same path.
The once-unified family seen on “Jon & Kate Plus 8” has quietly fractured over the years. Some siblings remain close to Kate, others live with Jon, and several have chosen not to speak publicly at all. Behind the scenes, a mix of estrangement, financial disputes, and personal milestones has defined the family’s life after reality TV.
The Divorce That Split More Than a Marriage
On June 22, 2009, Kate and Jon Gosselin officially filed for divorce in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania — the same day they announced their separation during a special episode of “Jon & Kate Plus 8.”
At the time, the show had been chronicling their daily life as parents to eight children: twins Mady and Cara, and sextuplets Aaden, Joel, Alexis, Leah, Collin, and Hannah. In a joint decision, the couple revealed their plans to live separately while taking turns staying in the family home to reduce disruption for the children.
Kate released a public statement that evening, explaining her decision to initiate legal proceedings. “Over the course of this weekend, Jon’s activities have left me no choice but to file legal procedures in order to protect myself and our children,” she stated.
She also revealed that her goal was to resolve the matter amicably and that, above all, her priority remained their eight children. Jon responded with a separate statement, expressing disappointment over the divorce but maintaining that his role as a father would not change.
“Our kids are still my number one priority,” he said. “I love them and want to make sure they stay happy, healthy, and safe.” He also acknowledged that the marriage had been in a difficult place for months. The divorce papers were sealed, under local court policy, and details of the filing were not made public.
However, the separation marked a turning point in the family’s story, both on and off camera. With the marriage officially over, production continued — only this time, with a new title and a single parent at the center.
Life After the Split: ‘Kate Plus 8’ and a New Direction
Following the divorce, TLC rebranded the series under a new title — “Kate Plus 8” — shifting the focus solely to Kate as a single mother. The show continued to document her life with the children, including travel episodes, birthday celebrations, and daily routines.
It ran intermittently until 2017, extending the family’s presence on television for nearly a decade. By 2015, Kate spoke openly about how life had changed since the split, calling the five years following the divorce “the greatest five years of my life.”
During a girls’ night out in Mexico for her 40th birthday, she told a friend, “My ideas haven’t changed, my parenting hasn’t changed. I’m just doing it alone now.” She also made it clear that discussing Jon publicly was off-limits.
“Don’t talk to me about ex situations,” she said, then went on to express frustration over persistent questions about her dating life. Though she wasn’t opposed to the idea of dating again, she noted that it wasn’t something she was actively pursuing at the time.
Still, she remained hopeful that she might eventually find someone, a desire that would later be explored in a spinoff series. While Kate adjusted to single motherhood on-screen, challenges behind the scenes were quietly unfolding — especially when it came to one of the sextuplets.
Collin’s Separation from the Family and Shifts in Custody
In 2016, Kate Gosselin confirmed that her son Collin, then 12, had been enrolled in a live-in program for children with special needs. She said the decision followed years of difficulty and was made with his long-term well-being in mind. At the time, Collin had already been away from home for an extended period.
“Collin has special needs,” Kate said. “There’s a fairly fluid diagnosis of what those needs are, but he needs to learn certain strategies to help him deal with things.” She said the entire family had been affected by the situation, and that she had often felt alone in handling it.
Although the decision was difficult, Kate expressed confidence in the choice. She described it as an investment in Collin’s future and said she found comfort in knowing he was where he needed to be. For more than two years, Collin remained in the program, away from his seven siblings and both parents.
In 2018, Jon petitioned the court for custody, stating that Collin wanted to live with him following his release from the program. Jon was awarded temporary sole custody after Kate failed to appear at the scheduled hearing. “It was just easier for the transition[…] and he wanted to live with me,” Jon said later that year.
Around the same time, Jon confirmed that another of the sextuplets, Hannah, was also living with him full time. He shared a close relationship with both Collin and Hannah, though the same could not be said for the rest of his children.
Aaden, Joel, Alexis, and Leah remained with Kate. The twins, Mady and Cara, had been publicly clear about their decision to distance themselves from their father. Over time, those private family divisions became more visible to the public.
Estrangement from the Twins and the Other Sextuplets
While Jon had established a household with Hannah and Collin, his relationships with the rest of the children were virtually nonexistent. “The other four aren’t talking to me,” he shared, though he noted that they were still in touch with their sister, Hannah.
The twins, Mady and Cara, had turned 18 and were preparing to leave for college. They had also chosen to cut ties with their father. In a 2016 interview, both girls made it clear they were not on speaking terms with Jon. “He makes it seem like we’re being kept from him, which is insane,” Mady said.
Her twin, Cara, added, “I wouldn’t even know what to say about him.” While Kate remained relatively quiet about the family divide, her social media presence offered a limited view of the children still living with her.
Though little was said publicly, the family’s fractured relationships would come into sharper focus in the years that followed — particularly as a financial dispute emerged.
Court Documents Reveal Kate Borrowed from Kids’ Trusts
In 2019, previously sealed court documents revealed that Kate had withdrawn a total of $100,000 from trust accounts set up for her eight children. These accounts had been established to hold the children’s earnings from their television appearances and promotional work.
The documents showed that Kate took two separate withdrawals of $50,000 each, which she described in testimony as necessary to cover living expenses. When questioned in court, Kate acknowledged that she had not yet repaid the funds.
“I will have to keep borrowing from it to survive,” she stated. She claimed the money was used to support both herself and the children. That same year, she purchased a $750,000 lakefront property in North Carolina, where she moved with Aaden, Joel, Alexis, and Leah.
Jon, who still had Collin and Hannah in his custody, said he became aware of the missing funds after reviewing their financial records. In a 2022 interview, he accused Kate of failing to repay the money. “She has produced no paperwork and no payments have been made,” he said. “You can’t just live off your kids’ money.”
A judge later ruled that if the withdrawals were truly loans, evidence of repayment should have been provided. The court also found Kate in contempt for failing to comply with earlier financial orders and ordered her to pay $1,500 in attorney’s fees to Jon. In the ruling, Jon was given control of Collin and Hannah’s trust accounts.
Kate’s testimony included a claim that she had paid $387,000 in private school tuition for the children from her income. She stated that she did not seek reimbursement, but referenced the amount in defense of the trust fund withdrawals. The court rejected her argument, and her counterclaim was dismissed in November 2019.
As the children grew older and gained legal access to their own finances, family tensions continued to surface, especially when Collin made new allegations about his time away from home.
Abuse Allegations by Collin
In 2023, Collin spoke publicly about his time away from the family and accused his mother of physical and emotional abuse. He alleged that Kate had restrained him as a child, saying she “zip-tied my hands and feet together and bolt-locked the door, turned the lights off and had cameras there just watching me.”
He also claimed he had been locked in a room multiple times. Kate did not respond to the allegations directly. Her attorney, Richard Puleo, said that she would not comment. “She always knows that this gets taken out of context,” he explained. “I don’t believe she intentionally harmed any of her children in any way, shape, or form.”
Recalling how he had spent over two years in a behavioral health facility, Collin credited his father with helping him leave that environment. He praised Jon for supporting him during what he described as a difficult period.
These were the most serious public allegations made by any of the Gosselin children to date. The now-adult children later began stepping into their own lives, with some choosing business and visibility, and others continuing to stay out of view.
Life at 20 and 24: Where Are the Gosselin Kids Today?
The eldest Gosselin kids, Mady and Cara, will turn 25 in October. After heading to college in 2019, they have remained out of the public eye and have not shared updates about their relationship with either parent. They have not publicly commented on recent developments involving their siblings.
