Jon & Kate Divorce Papers: Living 'Separate And Apart'

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Kate Gosselin says in divorce papers that her marriage to Jon is "irretrievably broken." The star of TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8" filed for a no-fault divorce Monday in Montgomery County Court outside Philadelphia. She said in papers that she's willing to "negotiate a fair and reasonable" settlement with her husband of 10 years.

The divorce filing was obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press. Lawyers for the couple said it contains boilerplate language common to all no-fault divorce petitions filed in Pennsylvania.

The series follows Jon and Kate Gosselin as they raise their eight young children, including 8-year-old twins and sextuplets who just turned 5.

Monday night's show, in which the couple announced their separation and divorce, drew a record audience of 10.6 million viewers.

Attorneys for both Jon and Kate Gosselin said Tuesday that the couple lived together on their Berks County compound until recently.

"They have been living 'separate and apart' just within the last week or two," said Jon's attorney, Charles Meyer, using a term from the divorce petition.

The court document does not explain what led to the split. But in a statement released to the media, Kate asserted that "Jon's activities" over the weekend had left her "no choice but to file legal procedures in order to protect myself and our children." She did not elaborate. Both Jon and Kate deny tabloid accusations that they cheated on each other.

"To be honest, I was hurt by Kate's statement about the divorce," Jon countered Tuesday in his own release. "I have always done everything I can to protect our family. This weekend, I was home with the kids for four days, just being a dad. No nannies, just the kids and me."

He added that while "emotions are running high for both of us right now," he hopes to "resolve things amicably."

The couple plan to spend equal time with their children at the $1.1 million house they moved into last year, with Kate staying elsewhere when he has custody and Jon making other living arrangements when it's her turn, according to the statement.

Kate's lawyer, Cheryl Young, said Tuesday that the couple has already started negotiating the terms of the divorce.

Comments

[dressagegirl]

I really do not understand the surprise here. It was obvious the first season that there were serious issues with the couple's relationship. I stopped watching then partly because it was so sad to watch this couple treat each other badly. I am amazed the marriage has lasted until now, but on the other hand I am sure the income from the show had something to do with keeping them together this long.

[Chaimirija]

And lots of married couples in real life are like that.

[lawgrrl]

Thank YOu Chaimirija! I see everyone here judging their relationship and the way they "treat each other"----those who live in glass houses .. . ..

[wonkguy]

Jon and Kate Plus 8 (lawyers)

[BadDayInProgress]

lol...

[Solipsistlv]

It is tempting to criticize this family -and who can imagine the logistics of divorcing with eight kids, an estranged family and a disapproving public. But divorce happens and sometimes it is best for everyone. The stress of having all of those children must be enormous, and sometimes you can't balance a relationship with that stress. For a while now, it has been obvious that they have nothing left to give to each other.

To those who criticize them for continuing the show, what kinds of jobs do you suggest they get where they can be present with the kids, provide for them adequately and establish emergency and college accounts for them? Especially now that they are under so much scrutiny? Judge not unless you walked in their shoes.

[cyndie1030]

I would think the millions they've gotten in the last three years could have been set aside for a time when they knew the show would end. And they should have thought about how they were going to provide for those kids before they had them. She was a nurse and he had an IT job...thos­e are good enough jobs to support the average family. They were the ones that decided to use drugs to make it a non-average family. The show is supposed to be about a family making a go of it with a large family. That theory ended when they started taking ski trips to Utah and going to Hawaii and moving into a mansion. Now's the time to end it before those kids have to have their pain broadcast for all to see.

[Chaimirija]

Now, seriously.­..who would want to go back to a nine to five and maybe a vacation every 5 years...? Besides, they said 50/50 AND they are not going to make the kids go back and forth...pr­etty civilized if you ask me.

[MzTexas]

Jobs like the rest of us single parents had to take in order to support our children alone. Exploiting one's children is not indicative of a good parent.

[LorettaSingbiel]

"what kinds of jobs do you suggest they get where they can be present with the kids, provide for them adequately and establish emergency and college accounts for them?"

There aren't many jobs left in America that pay a living wage for a family of just one or two children. But eight children is excessive and irresponsible in the best of times.

[Gasparilla]

How do people buy into this stuff? COPS is a "reality" show. This is manufactured garbage.

[jaleroca]

Okay let's see here. Jon has eight kids and getting a divorce. That means he has to pay child support and possibly alimony. Kate has eight kids and is getting a divorce. That means that she is going to be looking for a daddy to take care of those kids. Who would want either of them. He'll have no money and she's definitely wont have a man.

[cindyw]

Aren't they sharing custody of the kids, which would mean no child support? And I'm sure there will be no alimony, since Kate has income of her own.

[cyndie1030]

There is limited alimony in Pennsylvania. Two years, tops, and none if the wife has a substantial income which Kate does.

[jackie3072]

I am not a Kate fan, but I am a feminist. No one NEEDS a man to take care of children. Surprisingly enough, we women can accomplish many things on our own.

Your comment just sounded very sexist to me.

[Marie62866]

John has been the primary care taker of their children for the last few years! John quit his job so Kate could go out on the book signing circuit and talk show circuit! PA is a community property state so things will be split 50/50! If anything Kate will have to pay Alimony to John!!!

[darthnoz2009]

If i was Jon.. i'd ditch her after that racy photoshoot she did for http://www.dailynoz.blogspot.com/

[Kuuba]

spam

[Tugar]

BOTH OF THE GOSSELIN'S ARE EQUALLY TO BLAME FOR THEIR UPCOMING DEMISE !

Jon is lazy. He does not particularly like working, that is why he took Kate's abusive big mouth for so long. Kate is domineering, and really believes she is superior to anyone else in the world, particularly to minorities. And Jon isn't considered too much more than that to her unfortunately! Note, she was never shown with his Hawaiian relatives during their:

"BIG HAWAIIAN VACATION AND FARCE RENEWAL OF WEDDING VOWS", when she said she "JUST LOVED" Jon's 90 yr old pure, Hawaiian aunt.

I understand Kate came from "very humble beginnings" being raised in a trailer/mobile home park, but the woman really has a pompous attitude that came from somewhere, even she doesn't know it where from, and...

Most Dad's without a job and sufficient time to find one, end up in the POKEY. And most Moms who cannot provide for their kids, with no support from Dad, find themselves on WELFARE! Now wouldn't that be a pretty picture, after million dollar houses, and on the spot vacations all over the country for their little family of 10, no less!

BUT I HAVE NEVER SEEN TWO PEOPLE THAT WILL DESERVE WHAT'S COMING MORE!

[queotic]

"Kate is domineering, and really believes she is superior to anyone else in the world, particularly to minorities­."

I haven't seen the show, so can you give an example of this?

[vindrag]

Kate's pompous attitude more than likely derives from the fact that she is very self-conscious about her humble background.

[wltdnfaded]

OK, whoa, CHILLAX, OK?

Why is this upsetting you so much? You don't even know these people, do you even watch the show regularly? Did this touch some kind of nerve? Listen, it's 2 people out of 300 mil in America, it's not the end of the world.

[MadHeart]

There's a scam born every minute. These are just one example. All producers of these shows should have to take a psychological exam, as well as the participants. The US "entertainment" industry is publicizing dysfunction far too much.

[BlueStateMensch]

Not only are they living "SEPARATE"­.... but they're living "APART".

MAN!!

THAT sounds SERIOUS!!!!

[Chaimirija]

laughing

[Laserbeam]

I'm laughing, too!

[gfs5541]

This is why I no longer own a TV!

[Cuyahoga]

Your reason for not owning a TV - if that is the reason - is shallow. There's lot of good programming on TV - I don't have CABLE but I wouldn't want to be without cspan and pbs.

[queotic]

Agreed. I don't watch shows like this, but I love PBS, the History Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery etc...

[DrDemon]

Who gives a Phuckkk ?

[gonzohurt]

Please stop posting articles about these low life, money hungry, attention whores!!! Huffpost is contributing to child abuse by perpetuating this garbage.

[Witchitalineman]

Please Jon and Kate, just go away. Your children are cute but you and TLC need to quit exploiting them. Enough of this nonsense already. Remember there are much, much more important things happening here and around the world.

[MochasMom]

Fake? Why does the headline on the front page read : "FAKE! Jon & Kate Divorce Papers: Lived 'Separate And Apart' TWO YEARS" when the story reads that they have been living separate and apart for only the last week or so?

[cyndie1030]

I understand it to mean in the divorce papers she filed, she stated that they have lived "separate and apart for two years" but in August of 2008, is when they renewed their vows. So did she lie in the divorce papers or pull something over on the viewers who really thought they were renewing their vows and not scoring a free trip to Hawaii. But now the spokespeople are saying they've lived apart for two weeks. So does that mean Kate lied in the divorce papers???

[DeeDeeDaGumby]

she checked both boxes on the form.. it really boils down to money and how to protect it from Jon...

[Laserbeam]

Probably because yesterday the story said Kate had said it was "two years" that they had been living separate and apart.

[billbb]

So, TLC is waiting to re-title the show, "Jon & Kate, Plus Hate?"

[Chaimirija]

Jon and Kate, Plus Fake...did­n't they announce this before the weekend? Anyway, the usual sign of a nasty divorce is a custody battle, seems like they worked that our already, so...I predict lots of mountains out of molehills