Kate Gosselin Writes Scathing Letter Defending Kids Against Jon's 'Developmentally Behind' Slam: 'He Made Untrue & Hurtful Statements About Them'
Nov. 5 2013, Published 3:42 p.m. ET
Jon Gosselin cut down his eight children during a segment with Oprah Winfrey‘s Where Are They Now? saying they have developmental problems and his ex, Kate, has unleashed her motherly fury in an open letter.
Kate responded on her official blog Monday evening saying she felt a responsibility to counter on her children's behalf for the degrading comments their father made about them — because they could one day find his interview online.
Jon claimed on the OWN show that Jon and Kate Plus 8 destroyed his marriage, his reputation, his career and his children, telling Winfrey of his kids: "Developmentally, they have problems with their peers, and they have problems with talking to other people, and they have problems with wants and needs and manners and morals and what’s right and what’s wrong. I think more so than someone who grows up off TV."
Kate shot back in her letter: "When our kids grow up, they may see their father’s latest interview and wonder why he made untrue and hurtful statements about them. I know that I risk stirring up an unwanted public and private 'frenzy' by commenting on this, but, if our children ever stumble upon that interview, I want to be able to point them to this statement so that they know that I publicly set the record 100% straight on this one, for their sake."
Placing some of the blame on the fact that his children grew up on a reality TV program, Kate also squashed that notion.
"It is also very normal in a family, especially a large family, to have a full range of personalities, abilities, talents, hobbies and struggles. Ours is no different," she wrote.
"However, anyone who has personally met our children all have the same thing to say: they are the most normal, pleasant, polite, loving and well adjusted children they have ever met. Most even go on to say that they are 'a delight' to be around."
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Read the letter in it's full entirety here:
I find it very heart breaking that my children’s father chooses a public forum to discuss his current opinions of the “development” of our children. These opinions are, in reality, value judgements made about our children and they are based on his limited visits (albeit mutually agreed upon) with our children.
Because he has spoken negatively about our children, I feel I owe it to them to respond on their behalf. Each and every one of our children has met and continues to exceed all physical, mental and emotional developmental milestones throughout their lives. Their normal development is regularly monitored by myself, their pediatrician and school staff, as is usual within any family.
It is also very normal in a family, especially a large family, to have a full range of personalities, abilities, talents, hobbies and struggles. Ours is no different. However, anyone who has personally met our children all have the same thing to say: they are the most normal, pleasant, polite, loving and well adjusted children they have ever met. Most even go on to say that they are a “a delight” to be around.
When our kids grow up, they may see their father’s latest interview and wonder why he made untrue and hurtful statements about them. I know that I risk stirring up an unwanted public and private “frenzy” by commenting on this, but, if our children ever stumble upon that interview, I want to be able to point them to this statement so that they know that I publicly set the record 100% straight on this one, for their sake.
-Kate Gosselin
Jon also told Winfrey in his interview, “I saw my kids not growing up normally, like I grew up, and having community. Yes, they got to travel the world, and yes, they got these fabulous things, and yes, they have trust funds, and they’re taken care of educationally. Great,” of his twin daughters Cara and Mady, 13, and the sextuplets Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Alexis, Joel and Leah, 9.
The marriage between Jon and Kate ended horribly in 2009, and the couple continues to bicker both inside and outside of the courtroom — most recently Kate blindsided her ex in August with a multi-million-dollar hacking, wiretapping and identity theft lawsuit, but Jon hit back with a motion to dismiss what he calls a “fishing expedition.”