Kate Gosselin first hit TV screens on TLC’s Jon & Kate Plus 8, letting America watch all of the chaos of twins and sextuplets under one roof. The series ran from 2007 to 2009 before it turned into Kate Plus 8, and by that point, she’d become a pretty polarizing personality. Her bluntness, ugly split from Jon Gosselin, and a custody battle kept her in the headlines even after the cameras packed up.
Life after reality TV hasn’t been smooth. There’s been money trouble, fractured family relationships, and plenty of accusations that haven’t helped her image. She says the legal costs alone have been enough to push her back into a tough, full-time job just to keep up.
Now, she’s explaining why she’s back to pulling 12-hour nursing shifts.
Kate Gosselin says she spent a ton of money on court battles
Earlier this week, Kate posted a TikTok after finishing a long day as a home health care nurse. In the video, a fan asked why she went back to nursing after all these years.
“Honestly? Providing for 8 kids,” she answered. “College funds which I am proud to say covered all of their college and more and LAWYERS.”
She didn’t sugarcoat it. “Sickening but I was drug [sic] into court constantly and that costs A TON. Sad bc my kids could have a lot more saved and I could have a retirement saved if it weren’t for lawyers :(“
Still, she tried to look on the bright side, telling followers, “It’s okay. I’m helping other families and I feel needed and I enjoy helping.”
Her recent return to social media has received some backlash. In previous TikToks, some commenters accused her of coming back online just for money. Others questioned why she has been so open after years of keeping quiet.
When one commenter asked why she would even need to work after all those seasons on TV, Kate replied, “Reality TV doesn’t pay as well as it should when you have to provide for 8 kids on your own.”
Her TikTok page now shows bits of her everyday life, like making lunch before a shift, heading out in her scrubs, and even a rare appearance from her daughter, Alexis. On the TV side, her last appearance was in 2023 on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, but she left in the first episode after getting injured. Before that, she had the short-lived Kate Plus Date in 2019.
Kate and Jon share twins Cara and Mady, 24. Plus, sextuplets Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Leah, and Joel, 21. She’s no longer in contact with Collin or Hannah, who live with Jon. Kate has publicly called Collin “troubled” and “violent.” He accused her of abuse, saying she once locked him in a basement room and zip-tied his hands and feet.
She might not be all over reality TV anymore, but the drama that made her famous has not gone anywhere.
Jon & Kate Plus 8 streams on HBO Max and several other platforms.
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