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Tag: Robert Hoffman

  • Kate Gosselin Custody Battle: Is Jon Gosselin Seeking Custody?

    The custody battle between Jon and Kate Gosselin is heating up, with one source saying Jon Gosselin would like to gain full custody of the former couple’s eight children. Kate has purportedly been canceling scheduled visits between Jon and the kids, and he’s just about reached his breaking point.

    “He would love to take her to court and get total custody of his kids,” a source told RadarOnline. “He doesn’t want them on TV and doesn’t want Kate’s influence on them. He’ll do whatever it takes.”

    The TV thing has long been a strong point of contention between Kate Gosselin and her ex-husband. Although it’s only fair to note that Jon Gosselin didn’t have much of a problem reaping the benefits of being a reality show star when Jon & Kate Plus 8 was in its heyday.

    RadarOnline reported a while back that Jon Gosselin gave up his say about whether or not the eight Gosselin children could appear on TV in exchange for not being court-ordered to pay Kate Gosselin any child support at all. Now it seems, however, that he is seriously considering his legal options, because Kate isn’t living up to their prior visitation agreement.

    Robert Hoffman recently penned a book in which he makes some very serious allegations about Kate Gosselin. Called Kate Gosselin: How She Fooled the World, his list has provided fodder for tabloids, upon which many of them have constructed articles.

    It would be interesting to read Hoffman’s book and see if the aforementioned allegation appears there as well.

    Do you suppose Kate Gosselin has really pushed Jon too far this time? Might he really be considering filing for full custody of the Gosselin children?

    More importantly, if he did–would he stand a chance at winning?

  • Kate Gosselin Headed Back to TLC

    Kate Gosselin and her eight children are headed back to TLC. The network has ordered more episodes of her second reality show, Kate Plus 8. The specials will air in December. TLC says they will follow the Gosselin gang as they prepare for the upcoming school year. They will also trail the family as they take a trip to Boston.

    Cara and Mady Gosselin will be in eighth grade this year. Sextuplets Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Leah, and Joel Gosselin with be fourth graders.

    A two-part Kate Plus 8 special aired earlier this summer, averaging more than 2.1 million viewers. Does this mean a whole new deal could be coming Kate Gosselin’s way?

    When Kate and Jon Gosselin first divorced, Kate was portrayed as a bit of a tyrant–and that may have lent itself to the decline in her popularity–and hence the cancellation of Kate Plus 8 the first time around. Hopefully this run of specials starting in December will garner a much larger viewership, creating yet another success for Kate Gosselin and her children.

    Might it even lead to a regular TLC series once again?

    Kate Gosselin has been the target of lots of bad press in recent months, due mostly to a book written by Robert Hoffman.

    Within its pages, Kate has been accused of everything from spying to beating her children.

    Kate Gosselin fans are no doubt thrilled to learn that she and her eight children will once again be TV stars starting in December with the airing of more Kate Plus 8 specials on TLC.

    Post by Kate Plus 8.

    How do you suppose her children feel about once again being in the spotlight and having a TV crew and their cameras watching them throughout their days–and probably their nights, too?

  • Kate Gosselin: Crew’s Rules Not Unreasonable

    Kate Gosselin has been under fire as a result of Robert Hoffman’s book Kate Gosselin: How She Fooled The World. One of the points the author makes in the book is that Kate had some very unreasonable rules for the film crew any time any footage was filmed at her home. When you learn what those rules were, however, you might disagree with Robert Hoffman. Might this shed light on the credibility–or lack thereof–of the rest of his book?

    According to one source, Kate Gosselin’s house rules for the film crew don’t sound all that unreasonable. For example, she doesn’t want her home address ever written down or discussed. That seems to make perfect sense. Who wants random people showing up on their doorstep? Plus she’s the mom of eight children. There are security issues at hand.

    Another states that no smoking or drinking can take place either on her property or on the street in front of her property. You can’t really blame her there, can you? If you’re not a smoker or drinker yourself, you certainly don’t want people taking part in those activities on your property and in front of your children.

    Kate also insisted that the crew used just one bathroom that was located in the apartment and not in the main house. And while this might sound a bit inhospitable, then imagine cleaning a bathroom used by nine or more people–and then throw in its use by extras on a daily basis. Enough said?

    Other rules included those about shutting doors and not wearing shoes inside the house. And while they’re a bit nit-picky, they’re really not horrible. Has Kate Gosselin gotten a bad rap on these rules because of Robert Hoffman’s book–and for no good reason?

    This is definitely not a ‘defend Kate Gosselin‘ rant, but sometimes the naysayers can jump on a bandwagon with little to no reason for doing so. This might be one of those times.

    Yes, Kate Gosselin is a bit of a tyrant about certain things, but this time she really wasn’t behaving all that badly.

    Image via YouTube

  • Kate Gosselin: Was Reality Show Scripted?

    Kate Gosselin is in the news quite a bit lately, with recent claims that her nanny outed her for maintaining a strange rule book and now word that the reality TV show on which she starred with ex-husband Jon Gosselin and their six kids was scripted. This claim comes from Robert Hoffman, an author who really seems out to get Kate Gosselin, and has printed many such claims in his book, Kate Gosselin: How She Fooled the World.

    The latest claim was even a topic of conversation between Kate Gosselin and the ladies on The Talk back in 2011.

    “We’re not scripted. You heard me. We are not scripted. We’re living. The kids run in and out of the frame and they just live,” Kate said at the time.

    Robert Hoffman begs to differ. He says that after some digging–yes, he has in fact even admitted to digging through Kate Gosselin’s garbage–he has found evidence that the Jon & Kate Plus 8 was in fact scripted.

    The following are what Hoffman says are “‘scripted,’ voice-over assignments, written for and given to Kate, telling her exactly what to say” on the hit TLC show during two early episodes of the series.

    EPISODE #7
    “So we thought it might be fun to take them to have their head shots taken.”

    “But before we left for the photo shoot, we had our Saturday pancake breakfast, which has now become a Gosselin family tradition.”

    “After pancake breakfast, there was a bit of a potty training party happening in the laundry room.”

    “After pancake breakfast, a potty training session began, that was somewhat supervised by Mady and Cara.”

    “Not surprisingly, Joel didn’t manage to use the potty that day.”

    EPISODE #8
    “Aunt Jodi, my brother’s wife, is coming over today to get the twins suitcases.”

    “Uncle Kevin and Aunt Jodi are coming tonight. They’re bringing Cara and Mady with them. And our friend Beth will be there as well.”

    “I had planned the dinner for after the babies went to bed, and a neighbor came over to sit while they were sleeping.”

    “We had a plane to catch to Florida, and there we were stuck in the snow.”

    “Jodi and Kevin have 4 kids of their own, and Cara and Mady really love spending time with their cousins.” (or something like this)

    “So Jodi helped them bake cobweb cookies and meringue puffs” (is that what they were?)

    Robert Hoffman admits that the entire show didn’t appear to be scripted, but that it definitely didn’t appear to be completely off the cuff, with cameras viewing completely unscripted footage either. He says the shows were “totally scheduled with story lines planned in advance” and adds that Kate Gosselin was given her schedule for the week to let her know where her family would be going.

    “There was absolutely nothing ‘organic,’ normal, or natural about the Gosselin children being filmed,” Hoffman writes.

    Maybe the notion that the kids were used to the show being scripted helps explain how two of Kate Gosselin’s daughters completely embarrassed her on national TV when their talk wasn’t scripted?

    Kate Gosselin described Jon & Kate Plus 8 as being unscripted during a Q & A special that included the show’s producers. She was asked then if their show was ‘realistic.’

    “Yes. It’s very realistic. There’s no scripting,” Kate quickly responded. “There’s a plan about this is what we want to get. Right, that’s important for us to let people know we aren’t hiding anything. Our goal is to show people how hard this job is.”

    Has Kate Gosselin been caught in yet another lie or is Robert Hoffman simply better than she is at telling tall tales? Which one of these two do you believe?

    Image via YouTube

  • Kate Gosselin: Former Nanny Rats Her Out

    Kate Gosselin has at least one former nanny who clearly wasn’t fond of the Jon & Kate Plus 8 star–so she ratted her out to the media. No, she didn’t spill heinous secrets like author Robert Hoffman claims in his book, Kate Gosselin: How She Fooled the World–but she did rat her out over an alleged rule book that nannies were to abide by.

    An unnamed former nanny claims Kate Gosselin has a rule book that not only clearly illustrates the reality TV star’s pet peeves, but at times even instructs the nanny to ‘be Kate.’

    As per the former nanny’s interview with Kate Gosselin, “When Jon called the kids on the phone, Kate said to us nannies, ‘You are Kate, so always listen in on the phone calls,’” she recalled how her former boss would want the nannies to put themselves in her shoes and do as she would.

    “We always had to keep an ear and eye on what was going on. Kate would say she had no problem with the kids having a relationship with Jon, but it always felt like a façade to me.”

    In addition to being super sleuths, Kate Gosselin’s nannies did housework, but could only vacuum at certain times of the day, had to be very careful about slamming doors, and were cautioned about “not putting anything on the ground.” Also, everything had to be wrapped up by 9:00 P.M.

    Meanwhile, according to Kate Gosselin’s Twitter posts, life is grand in her home with her eight children.

    Did this former nanny get done because of Kate’s rule book? No. It was supposedly when she witnessed Kate’s behavior toward one of her children that this unnamed nanny decided to call it quits.

    The nanny said that she ultimately quit after witnessing certain behavior she was uncomfortable with, such as Kate spanking son Colin—whom she described as the ‘busiest’ of the eight kids and the one most often in trouble—with a plastic spoon in front of his brothers and sisters.

    What do you think? Is this simply a new case of more Kate Gosselin bashing or is it further proof that the pretty, smiling woman on the occasional TV talk show who wants to portray a loving-but-strict mom is really a piece of angry work? Might more nannies come out of the woodwork with similar stories now that this one has spoken out? Will any of them dare reveal their identities?

    This former nanny did add, by the way, that the children love–and frequently watch–old episodes of Jon & Kate Plus 8. The supposedly call it ‘Mommy and Daddy’s show.’

    Are they mourning what once was or is this a case of Kate fueling her dreams that they will one day return to the world of reality TV?

    Image via YouTube

  • Kate Gosselin Calls Mothers of Multiples ‘Retarded’

    Kate Gosselin has allegedly used a slur that makes mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, and friends of anyone who knows and loves a person with disabilities–especially Down Syndrome–bear their teeth and claws and go in for the kill. She reportedly said in an email that mothers of multiples are ‘retarded.’ First of all that word should never be used. A product of the 1950s, it describes what many then believed people with Down Syndrome or other intellectually-challenging disabilities to be. The word has no business being used in any context within the English language these days.

    Now before everyone starts tweeting Kate Gosselin and bashing her for her alleged use of the hereafter-referred-to ‘R-word,’ it’s very important to note that the source of this information is none other than the book written about Kate by Robert Hoffman. Hoffman’s explosive book, Kate Gosselin: How She Fooled the World, reads that a woman reached out to Kate’s ex-husband Jon Gosselin back in 2006 and asked him to become a member of a forum for parents of multiples.

    “On Dec. 31, 2006, Jon forwarded Kate an email that he had received the day before from the coordinator of something called the ‘MOST’ forum (MOST stands for Mothers of Supertwins). The forum coordinator, ‘Patti. T.’, asked Jon if he would post something to introduce himself and his family on the forum,” Robert wrote in his book. “It is not clear why Patti T.’s email annoyed Kate, but her curt response to Jon about it is offensive. Kate said, ‘These people are r-tarded.’”

    Radar Online was reportedly the first site to report Kate Gosselin’s alleged used of the offensive term. They reached out to the Special Olympics who shortly thereafter issued their own statement of disappointment in the former Jon & Kate Plus 8 star’s choice of words.

    “We encourage people to go to R-Word.org and take the pledge. It’s important because it’s respect toward everyone,” a Special Olympics rep said in a written statement.

    Do you think Kate Gosselin truly used this derogatory term in that email or is this something that Robert Hoffman simply made up? It’s a hideous word that sheds an unfavorable light on those who may learn differently or learn at a different pace. It’s definitely not a word anyone–but most especially any mother–should ever use.

    Image via Twitter

  • Kate Gosselin Reportedly Forced Her Kids To Vacation in Alaska For TV Ratings

    Kate Gosselin’s name is being dragged through the mud yet again.

    According to Radar Online, the re-release of the shocking tell-all book, Kate Gosselin: How She Fooled The World, has new claims that center around Gosselin’s first reality show Jon & Kate Plus 8.

    In 2010, the 39-year-old reality TV star reportedly forced her eight children to go on a vacation to Alaska with politician and former Alaskan governor Sarah Palin. The trip was said to have been orchestrated by TLC in an effort to boost the show’s ratings.

    Robert Hoffman, the best-selling author of the infamous slam-book, claims that Kate was totally in agreement with the network. However, the children had no desire to go on the trip.

    Hoffman also claims that their daughter Mady was so upset about going to Alaska that she called her father Jon Gosselin to come and get her the night before they were scheduled to depart.

    “Mady couldn’t take it anymore and called Jon the night before, begging him to come and get her and take her back to his apartment. She absolutely did not want to go away for more filming, and especially not as far away as Alaska. I know this because I went to Kate’s house that night with Jon to pick up Mady, and I heard the discussion between Jon and Kate – through the intercom at the gate,” Hoffman alleged.

    “Kate completely disregarded Jon’s concerns about Mady and blew it off by saying that Mady was just tired and she didn’t mean what she said. She, of course, managed to insult Jon several times during the exchange. This was at night, in the dark, with no paparazzi watching; it was just a loving father coming to get his unhappy daughter who had called him for help.”

    Unfortunately, Jon wasn’t able to pick his daughter up. Instead, he was met with threats from his estranged ex-wife. When Jon reportedly told Kate he’d be back the next day to pick up his daughter, she became enraged and threatened to call the police if he came to the home.

    “Jon told Kate that he would be back in the morning to get Mady, and Kate told him that she would have the police at the house to arrest him if he tried,” he wrote. But, to no avail, all eight children did end up going to Alaska.

    Hoffman also explained that he has proof to support the accusations. The young child can also be seen crying in the pictures that were used to promote the episode, which recounted the trip to Alaska.

    “While only a handful of people knew about the drama leading up to the Alaska trip, the family photo that TLC released to the media to promote the episode actually ended up giving away the fact that something was going on with Mady. You’ll see a very smiley Kate with all the kids. But if you look at Mady, on the far right, you’ll see how sad and miserable she is. She’s crying in the publicity photo. That photo is all the proof anyone would ever need to see that she didn’t want to be there… That picture was worth a thousand words.”

    Several media outlets have speculated that the claim in the book is actually true due to the questionable picture. With the re-release of the book, rumors have begun to stir about Kate’s questionable parenting skills yet again.

    Do you believe Kate Gosselin has the best interest of her children in mind?

    Image via Kate Plus 8, Facebook

  • Kate Gosselin Furious About Tell-All Book, Insists Claims Are ‘Fabricated’

    Kate Gosselin isn’t a happy camper right now.

    According to Radar Online, the 39-year-old reality star is furious about the June 24 re-release of the jaw-dropping, tell-all book Kate Gosselin: How She Fooled The World, The Rise and Fall of a Reality TV Queen.

    The incriminating memoir was first released in 2012 by author Robert Hoffman.

    It reportedly revealed shocking claims about Kate’s harsh disciplinary practices with her children and cruelty toward household pets.

    The mother-of-eight was even accused of spanking her children with a wooden spoon. Although the book was pulled only days after its release due to intellectual property violations, Kate still opted to take legal actions.

    In August of 2013, the Kate Plus 8 star filed a massive, multi-million dollar lawsuit against Hoffman and her estranged ex-husband Jon.

    Kate insisted that Jon gave the best-selling author incriminating information that was used to compile the claims in the book. However, she ultimately decided to drop the lawsuit.

    Now, the infamous book is rearing its ugly head yet again and worse than before. This time, Hoffman has reportedly accused Kate of using her children to acquire fame and wealth.

    He also claims Kate contacted the State of Pennsylvania begging for free childcare assistance because her children are “disabled.” So, what’s Kate going to do about all of this?

    Surprisingly, sources close to the reality TV star have revealed that she’s not going to do anything about it.

    “Kate’s not going to take any legal action at this time,” a source told Radar.

    “She feels the book is already ‘out there’ and thinks that ‘even though a lot of things are fabricated and untrue,’ she doesn’t feel the need to drudge up old news and waste unnecessary money on attorney fees that could go to feeding her children’s mouths.”

    Hoffman has also confirmed that no legal actions have been taken toward him. Last month, he also shared the reason he opted to re-release the book.

    “I believe people have a right to hear all sides of the story and not just the side that the people with the most money want to shove down their throats. People are smart enough to make their own decisions and make up their own minds based on the facts,” he said.

    Hopefully Hoffman’s allegations are only rumors, but fans will just have to wait and see how things turn out. “I think its time for all the cards to be put on the table and to let the chips fall where they may,” Hoffman concluded.

    Image via Kate Plus 8, Facebook