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Why Does Kate Gosselin Even Need a Bodyguard?

Sun., May. 17, 2009 3:35 PM PDT by Leslie Gornstein

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Reports about Kate Gosselin and her bodyguard have me wondering...WHY IN THE HELL DOES SHE NEED A BODYGUARD? She's a D-level reality-TV star AT BEST.
—Randy, South Bend, Ind.

Kate Gosselin may not be much of a star to you, or to me, but she sure is to millions of people—even more so in That Random Place, Pa., where she lives and her show Jon & Kate Plus 8 takes place.

Even triple-D-list stars like Kate hire bodyguards like, in this allegedly scandalous case, Steve Neild. And as obnoxious as that sounds, the reasons may surprise you...

Other bodyguards tell me they wouldn't be shocked if Kate Gosselin actually fears for her safety.

Other reality-show people have hired bodyguards, you know. Ron Williams of the security group Talon Executive Services says his company has guarded—get this—the Dancing With the Stars people when they traveled to Paris, along with other reality-show personalities like Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.

No media reports have surfaced about a Gosselin stalker—who would have to be pretty ambitious, targeting 10 people simultaneously—but that doesn't mean a thing, I am told. Gosselin herself has at least referred to some media outlets as "the animals that stalk us," though, I'm told by security pros, most stars wouldn't hire a bodyguard just to create distance from paparazzi.

"A young attractive, female living in a small town where everyone wants to meet her, be near her and think she's wealthy because she's been on TV? I'm not surprised she needs protection," says Bill Kirkpatrick, founder of the personal security outfit 360 Group International.

"I bet if you dug a little deeper, you would find she has received many death and sexual assault threats."

(Author's note: Would rather not, thanks.)

And just in case you're wondering exactly what bodyguard Neild does—other than what you've read in the tabs—according to some reports, he often travels with the whole family—not just Kate—during speaking tours. Whether he gets a salary boost for watching eight rugrats at a time, I have no idea.

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