Did You Watch Jon Gosselin on 'Larry King?'

Last night I sat on my couch watching “Larry King Live” and listened to Jon Gosselin tell his side of the Jon and Kate saga.
One moment I felt legitimately sorry for him, and the next I found myself scoffing at his excuses. It was soap opera drama at its best, yet by the show's end I found myself much more sympathetic towards Jon.
First Jon claimed that he had been totally blindsided on Monday when he discovered that TLC had dropped his name from his family's' show, which would now be called “Kate Plus Eight.”
Then he announced that as a parent he has decided that he does not think it would be healthy for his kids to be filmed on the show while they are going through a divorce.
Yesterday he posted a sign on the gates of their estate stating that “No film crew or production staff from TLC is permitted on this property under penelty (yes they misspelled ‘penalty') of trespass.”
Larry then read statements from TLC stating that the only reason Jon was doing this now was because his name was being dropped from the show. However, Jon's lawyer, Mark Heller, stated that they had notified TLC last week BEFORE Monday's announcement that they wanted the show terminated.
Jon admitted that “I know I messed up, I do regret a lot of things and that I have to move forward…. I have a sense of empowerment and I have to take back my life.”
He further stated that one of his regrets was using the word “despise” to describe his feelings for Kate on a previous interview. Jon explained that “sometimes in a divorce you say things you don't really mean.”
Then the lawyers for first Jon and then Kate took over “Lawyers frequently get in the way,” stated Mark Heller, Jon's lawyer, while getting in the way. Kate's lawyer, Mark Momjian, stated that Kate's preference is to continue the show for as long as possible.
And back and forth the charges went, with Jon and his lawyers basically saying that the show has violated child labor laws, and that the Gosselins had been manipulated and used by TLC, who, when the show first started, took advantage of a naïve and poor family with eight children, signing them to a very one-sided contract.
Jon added that while he wants to delay the divorce proceedings, it's not to get back together with Kate. “We know we're not going to be husband and wife anymore, but we're always going to be mom and dad. We have to work together…we have to pull our kids off of television, we have to work things out.”
Jon continued to apologize for mistakes that he admitted making. “I can't be a kid anymore,” he said. And later stated “I have been an avoider, I have to take the initiative, I have to be a man, I have to grow up.”
At the end of the show Larry King asked “In retrospect…do you think maybe you shouldn't have started it (the show)?”
“Correct” was Jon's response.
Maybe I am naïve, and I know Jon whined a lot (“I stayed home with the kids for two years while Kate traveled and spoke…I changed 12,000 diapers in one year”).
After all, this was really the first time that Jon had the opportunity to explain his side of the story, and I somewhat believe him.
Do you? Regardless, I am sure that there is a lot more to come in this ongoing saga.

Jon & Kate in trouble? Oh my! Guess I was wrong ... or not

The question is, when you have to “eat crow,” should you add a dash of salt?

Regular readers may recall that last summer I wrote a column citing Mr. and Mrs. Gosselin, the stars of the popular "Jon & Kate Plus 8” television show, as an example of a couple with a “healthy relationship.”

With foot firmly entrenched in mouth I wrote the following: “Jon and Kate have morphed into a couple that is totally honest and open with one another. They have developed a relationship built on trust, so much so that they can say almost anything to each other without producing the type of lingering feelings that fester and destroy so many relationships.

And I further stated “(Yes) Jon and Kate… argue almost daily. But I would bet dollars to donuts…. that they will never cheat on one another or wind up in divorce court.”

Now, less than a year later every gossip television show and magazine is trumpeting rumors that Jon has been seen out partying with young coeds, and that their relationship is in serious trouble.

I even saw one show in which an expert broke down and analyzed the couple’s body language while the Goslings were sitting on their famous interview couch.

The expert predicted that they were a couple whose relationship is in serious trouble. In slow motion I saw the way that Kate was scratching her neck, Jon was rolling his eyes, and leaning father and farther away from his wife.

Supposedly a lot of the problems stem from Kate being out and about delivering speeches and promoting her books, tapes, lunch boxes, etc, while Jon is just out and about promoting himself.

Now I always knew that the couple fought and bickered a lot, but I thought that they also displayed an openness and honesty in that bickering that would keep them together. I also thought that their love for their brood of two sets of multiples (8 kids in all) would prevent them ever from cheating on one another or separating.

Of course Season 5 of their popular show on “The Learning Channel” is set to kick off on May 25, and all of this rumor-mongering could just be publicity to hype the new season.

Was the ominous tone and stilted body language on last season’s finale just another version of a television series cliffhanger? Is this speculation merely another version of “Who shot JR?”

So perhaps I was right all along. Jon and Kate WILL stay together, but NOT because of their love for their kids or each other, but to keep the money flowing in from their ever-popular show.
So maybe I only have to swallow half a serving of crow.