Kate Gosselin's Former BFF Admits She Hit The Road 'When It Stopped Being About The Kids And Turned To Fame & Money'

Although Kate Gosselin allegedly tried to screw over her best friend at the time when it came to proceeds from a book they did together, former BFF Beth Carson exclusively tells RadarOnline.com that it wasn't about money — it was about the kids, or should have been.

"I honestly don't have anything personal against Kate. At the time her choice was to put her focus on the show and making the most money," Beth told Radar.

"So I felt that maybe she lost a little integrity and it was better for me and my family to take the high road and get out."

Carson and her husband Bob had been the Gosselins closest friends during the height of Jon & Kate Plus 8 fame, but while Beth says her focus was on the children, she says Kate's priority quickly changed to fame and fortune.

"My interest from day one, and I think it's hard for money–minded people to believe this, was seeing that the kids got the care they needed," she said. "Once it stopped being about the kids, and turned to fame and money , I was out. I really truly just wanted the kids to have what they needed. It was a really easy decision for me once it stopped being about the kids to say, 'I'm out.'"

Beth — who appeared on numerous episodes of the hit TLC show — thinks Kate is doing the best job she can do with her eight children, but maybe doesn't agree with her methods.

"I do know that Kate's very, very intelligent, very driven, very focused, very stubborn — the word 'never' should never be used with Kate. Everything is possible, for the good or the bad," Beth told Radar. "You can't take away from what she's accomplished with having eight children fed and clothed, but maybe there's a different way to go about it."

And while Kate haters are quick to blame the mother for exploiting her children, Beth says society and fans of the show are partly to blame too.

"I think society has to take some responsibility because every person who tuned in and fed the fire , cannot turn around and now criticize her. You're essentially patting her on the back, so who are you to turn around and say she's gone too far?" she said.

"I think it will be interesting — it's kind of become this social project of society. Like, what has society done? They were so highlighted and so out there on TV, as real people, so the kids are the first products of that. The kids were really the first ones who had no choice , they were infants. It has influenced their every moment of every day."