The courts may call it a divorce, but Jon and Kate Gosselin are calling it a "new chapter."
The besieged reality-TV parents spent the second half of Monday's episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8 glossing over explaining their decision to separate, made official today when they started divorce proceedings in Reading, Pa.
"We haven't really known where we're going, but we've been dealing with this for a long time," said Kate, 34, after she and Jon managed to get through the construction of the kids' new playhouses without actually interacting.
"It's the next chapter—not a chapter that's been brought on by our show, not a chapter that's been caused by our career choices at all. I believe that it's a chapter that probably would have played out had the world been watching or not," Kate said.
Both ultimately tried to look on the bright side, for the sake of their kids (and cable posterity), but not before Jon called the situation "a total breakdown of everything."
"I'm looking for friendship with Kate and we don't have that now," he said. "We don't have anything now. We're just like two people that happen to live here."
The separating duo said that their eight children will continue to live in their spacious suburban home and that they will take turns being with them at the house, with Kate being the predominant parent-in-residence.
"They love it here, this is their house," Jon said. "We bought it for them, not for us."
Jon & Kate Plus 8 will continue as scheduled on TLC, with each parent doing his or her own thing for the cameras.
"It's a shame, and I will always love her as the mother of my kids," Jon said of his wife of 10 years, whom he shared no couch time with on this episode. "We're not running away from them. We're just living our separate lives and coming back and being with them."
Which, apparently, is also a somewhat exciting prospect for the young dad.
He did not address reports that he's moving to New York but acknowledged that he wasn't going to be around as much.
"I do have feelings as well, and I'm hurt by all of this," he said. "I'm excited and hurt at the same time. I have a new chapter in my life. I'm only 32 years old."
Kate said that, except for a few hours when she let herself "fall apart and hyperventilate and sob harder" than ever before, she has tried to be strong for the kids.
"It's a fork in the road," she said. "Our goals are different now, but I don't hate him."
"I don't hate Kate," added Jon. "But," he shrugged, "you know, I have to do what's best for me and my kids."
"I don't really want to be alone," Kate said. "I don't want to do this alone, but it's required and I've got to do it."
The distressed mom, who was the one who filed for divorce, said in a statement Monday night that she had ultimately had "no choice," though she didn't go into detail.
"Over the course of this weekend, Jon's activities have left me no choice but to file legal procedures in order to protect myself and our children," she said. "While there are reasons why it was appropriate and necessary for me to initiate this proceeding, I do not wish to discuss those reasons at this time, in the hope that all issues will be resolved amicably between Jon and myself. As always, my first priority remains our children."
Added Jon: "In terms of my marriage, it's no secret that the past six months or so have been very difficult for Kate and me. We are no different than other couples and parents who are facing a crossroads in their marriage. I am of course deeply saddened that we are divorcing."