What Is Jon Gosselin Really Up To?

The daddy of the Plus 8 has a bigger scheme in mind than what you might think

By Leslie Gornstein Oct 06, 2009 3:32 AMTags
Jon GosselinAmber Matsumoto/LA Dodgers

Why is Jon Gosselin acting like such a jerk, shutting down his own show and saying such horrible things about the mother of his children?
—PDen, Ocala, FL, via the Answer B!tch inbox

Well, let's put it this way. What's the one thing Jon Gosselin really needs right now? I mean, besides a shirt that doesn't come from Ed Hardy? I mean, besides a shirt that doesn't come from Ed Hardy and a treadmill?

Here's a hint. It ain't just about money, folks...

...though, talent managers and family attorneys tell me, money is a big part of the equation. And it feeds the other part.

See, Gosselin's outrageous statements, the banning of the cameras from his front lawn via a sign apparently written by his sextuplets—those antics are likely aimed at bleeding more money from the TLC network, official exploiters of the Gosselin Eight.

"What he is trying to do is make it impossible to produce the show without paying him a fee," says reality-star talent manager and one-time studio exec Marrissa O'Leary. "It blatantly reeks to me of a play for money."

Remember, TLC holds Gosselin to an exclusive contract, and according to soon-to-be-ex Kate Gosselin, Jon can indeed deep six the show if he wants to. Depending on just how much value the show has for TLC, the execs there will either decide to give Jon what he wants, sue him or let him shut the show down. Of course, that last outcome would kill Gosselin's main source of income at the moment, but logic doesn't seem to be our friend's strong suit.

The other motive, interestingly, could be avoidance of child support down the line, family law expert Alexis Martin Neely tells me.

By shutting down the show and citing his children's welfare as the main reason, "he's doing what he thinks will make him be seen as the good parent" in any upcoming divorce or custody proceedings, Neely tells me. "He's going to want as much custody of the kids as he can get, so that he can pay the least amount possible in child support."

Ditto with Gosselin's apparent snatching of $230,000 from a joint account shared with Kate.

"He has some rational that says, 'I'm entitled to this money, and if I have it, it's better for the family in some way,' " Neely speculates.

Not that any of these stunts are expected to be particularly effective.

"If he was in his right mind," Neely says, "he would see he is acting completely ridiculous."

Almost as ridiculous as a a pair of Ed Hardy jeans with tigers on the butt cheeks.

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Jon! Kate! The other Kate! The 8! Keep up with the drama in our Jon & Kate gallery.