Rumors have it that Jon and Kate Plus 8 stars Jon and Kate Gosselin have hired divorce lawyers. If so, theirs will be America's first reality divorce to go down while the show a show is airing. No doubt the saga will continue generating the TLC channel's biggest ratings ever. But as the producers' profits continue to roll in as this train wreck of a marriage breaks down, what's at stake for Jon and Kate? Already accused by family members of "exploiting their kids" for fame and fortune, the money is really going to the hit fan if they head to divorce court.
Previous reality TV couples like Nick and Jessica, Britney and Kevin Federline, and Hulk Hogan and Linda all had marriages that hit the skids after their shows left the airwaves. But Jon and Kate are famous for raising eight little ones while showcasing their deteriorating marriage on camera. The feuding couple has been raking in real dough from sponsors, gifts, perks and fees and expects to earn much more as their popularity continues to soar. So the question arises, if the couple splits, how do they split their future earnings in real time?
A family member claims the Gosselins are worth $10 million. Even if the true figure is a quarter of that, figuring out how to slice this family pie without the couple tearing each other to pieces will not be easy. The couple's TV contract reportedly pays out $75,000 an episode. As current cash cows for TLC , Jon and Kate should certainly expect their paychecks to inflate as additional seasons advance. Plus there's bound to be income from additional book deals, TV contracts, and paid endorsements down the road. It's going to take a team of contract and divorce lawyers to divide the marital assets as the family jackpot and fame grows by the minute. This is the type of settlement deal that could take months if not years to hammer out.
Then comes alimony. Could Kate owe Jon a monthly maintenance check? After all, Jon played housewife while Kate was the bigger breadwinner. Her $20,000 speaking engagements, plus income from her book and autograph sales, make her the wealthier spouse. If a judge wants to make sure that income and assets are divided evenly, there may be a court-ordered role reversal. Jon could end up a kept man as he cashes Kate's alimony checks.
Another cost of a reality divorce is astronomical legal fees. Litigation would put a serious dent in the couple's paychecks. The more complicated the marital assets, the wealthier the spouses, and the more ferocious their fight, the bigger the legal bills. These feuding TV stars are a lawyer's dream clients -- virtually guaranteed to wage an expensive divorce battle as the attorneys and forensic accountants sort through the marital assets and hatch a workable plan where both sides would be willing to sign off.
The Gosselins would actually stay richer if they stayed together. But with their hatred bared before the cameras and their legal maneuverings behind-the-scenes, it seems like it's too late to save Jon and Kate.
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If this is true... I am so sad for those children who will look back at this and wonder why their parents chose to expose every piece of their life and marriage to the world.
Hopefully they will have time to reflect on their decision and see that a solution to stay together as a family would be the best option, but at least do not involve any more individaul
Oh, and there are not cameras in the house 24/7! Before they moved into the mansion where do you suppose they would have put all those people? Besides, that's a little creepy. They film a couple days a week. Whoever thinks otherwise doesn't grasp the reality tv concept or the process of television production
But I think what most strikes me, is the difference between men and women in divorce. I just wrote an article about it here: http://www
The other thing that's still so hard to watch is seeing these two be so horrible to each other. They loved each other once, we know they did...
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I think a Simpson's quote is apt here: Lisa complains that, even thought she's watching The Learning Channel, "I'm not learning anything". 'nuff said.
We got these yahoos. Doesn't seem fair, somehow.
I'm glad I never watched, and never plan to.
You know the children personally
Or are you just some voyeur watching their TV show, and accepting what is carefully presented to you as though it were real?
Being raised on TV, even with good, caring parents, is bad for kids. But then, good, caring parents would keep their kids OFF of TV.
Works for me.
I don't think it's good for your mental health to be on TV 24/7..
Ah, a SANE comment. You are very correct.
California had to enact "Coogan's Law" after Jackie Googan was bilked. Plus even though I am not a fan of Denise Richards, at least since she is California with her twaffle of a reality show the kids are being monitored and compensate
I shudder to think of the years of therapy for these kids, their parents have already outspent (on surface anyway) a majority of their earnings - those kids didn't beg for a mansion, or mommy's tummy tuck - any of it. Yet the parents CLAIM that the kids get to choose - BOGUS! The mother wouldn't even let them name "their" dogs. I hate to think of the emotional blackmail those eight kids are going through.