KATE GOSSELIN: HOW SHE FOOLED THE WORLD - THE RISE AND FALL OF A REALITY TV QUEEN

by Robert Hoffman

  I have, however, spoken to and interviewed hundreds of people along the way, including Gosselin friends, family members, nannies, babysitters (both former and present), “helpers,” restaurant owners, wait staff, anonymous TLC/Discovery employees, physicians, nurses, fertility specialists, childhood friends, etc. Not much is from a single source. Wherever possible, I have verified my information through separate sources independently. Contrary to what has been reported in some articles, Jon has never given me a personal interview for US Weekly or for this book, which he didn’t even know I was writing until I went public with it in June of 2012. Again, the only thing he ever asked was that I report the truth.

  For the record, I have had exactly one face-to-face conversation with Kate Gosselin. It lasted about a minute on a day when she had no choice but to exchange a few brief words with me because she had let the dogs get out of her property and drove away, leaving them scared and roaming on a busy road in front of her house. You will read more about this later. I have tried to speak to Kate to get her side of the story, but I have never even come close to getting a civil response from her. Just an angry, hateful glare.

  I have, however, been in rooms and in cars, and I’ve overheard conversations with Kate Gosselin, so I have heard some things directly from the horse’s mouth.

  In leaving no stone unturned in researching this book, I came across a treasure trove of Kate Gosselin’s personal documents and information. Among those documents was Kate’s personal, very detailed daily journal from 2005-2007, chronicling the Gosselin’s day-to-day lives – the good, and the very bad – in Kate’s own words.

  In the interest of full disclosure, I found Kate’s journal while combing through documents and computer discs and files that she had thrown in the trash the day after she threw Jon out of the apartment above the garage for good.

  Many, many negative stories have been written online and in the tabloids about Kate Gosselin. Some stories are similar to what I have written here, but they can’t be proven, so Kate Gosselin has been allowed to continue on with business as usual. I would never have dreamed of publishing a book filled with my own opinions about Kate Gosselin. It would have been laughed off by Kate and everyone affiliated with her as a pack of lies made up by a “hater.” She is incredibly insulated by her handlers.

  Kate’s journal is what finally convinced me to move ahead with this book and kept me motivated while writing. The journal, once and for all, gives us a glimpse into what happened behind closed doors, in Kate’s own words, and provides hard evidence that cannot be disputed.

  This book may be difficult to read. It isn’t easy to see Kate’s words describing how she routinely spanked her children so hard that she had to pray to God to help her stop. It isn’t easy to read how she lied and misrepresented herself and her family’s situation so she could get good, caring people to generously hand over their money, time and lots and lots of gifts to her.

  I have no regrets about the kids someday reading this book because they are living this nightmare, and I’m sure their reality has been far, far worse than I, or anyone outside of that house, will ever know or could possibly imagine.

  I’ve used many quotes throughout this book – quotes that I feel capture the essence of what I’m trying to convey. I use quotes because Kate uses them throughout her life and in her writings, and I wanted to keep this book in that same spirit.

  My professional opinion and diagnosis as a graphic designer and photographer is that Kate Gosselin is mentally ill and very sick on several different levels. She needs to get professional help before she seriously injures one or all of her children…or worse. I hope that the truths in this book will push her to get that help because, despite all her lies and the physical, verbal, emotional and psychological abuses she has heaped upon her children, she is still their mother, and I would guess that they love her. Because that is what children do, until they one day realize that their “normal” is really not normal at all.

  “I tell you, on the day of judgment,

  people will give account

  for every careless word they speak,

  for by your words you will be justified,

  and by your words you will be condemned.”

  – Matthew 12:36-37

  ONCE UPON A TIME …

  … there lived a beautiful little girl named Katie Irene. She grew up in a beautiful house in the country, with a barn and a big yard for her to run around and play in. She had everything a little girl could ever want or need.

  Katie had a loving family, which included a nurturing and doting father, who was also an associate pastor at the local church; a protective and supportive mother, who baked cookies and pies and would do anything to see her little Katie smile; and a house full of siblings to play with, and to share in all of her dreams.

  Like most little girls, Katie played with her dolls and dreamed of one day becoming a mother herself. She watched her parents closely and learned a lifetime’s worth of parenting skills that would guide her on her way to motherhood.

  Katie was raised as a Christian and practiced her faith daily. She was wholesome and shy around boys and, growing up, never really went on dates or spent much time with them. She stayed focused on her schoolwork and her career instead, and worked very hard to achieve all of her goals.

  Katie loved people so much, especially little children, and she knew from an early age that she would one day become a pediatric nurse, so that she could take care of as many children as she possibly could. Her heart was filled with so much faith and love, and she wanted to share it.

  She knew that one day, her prince would come riding up on his big white horse and sweep her off her feet, and they would get married and have a house full of children of their own, to pamper and nurture and to grow old loving. She dreamed that very same dream every night until, at last, it finally came true.

  Katie met her knight in shining armor, and soon after, they married and had that giant house full of happy children of their own. All of Katie’s dreams had come true, just like she had planned from the time she was a little girl.

  And they all lived happily ever after.

  ~

  I wish I could say that’s how this story goes, and that little Katie’s life was filled with butterflies and lollipops and tender, cherished, heartfelt moments. Unfortunately, the reality is very different.

  THE FORMATIVE YEARS

  This is not a happy story. Rather, it is the sad tale of a greedy and selfish woman, so consumed by the desire for fame and monetary riches, that she sold her children’s privacy, dignity and childhoods; discarded their loving father; drove away family and friends; scammed a generous public; displayed unspeakable cruelty to humans and animals alike; and behaved in the most deceitful, rude, nasty and unappreciative ways imaginable. Something must have gone terribly wrong in nature or nurture, or a combination of the two, for such a person to be created.

  Katie Irene Kreider was born in Hershey, PA, on March 28, 1975. She is one of five children born to parents Charlene and Kenton Kreider. Her father, Kenton, is a church pastor.

  For those who have followed Kate’s public life closely, you will already know that her words and actions show her to be an emotionally disturbed woman. She displays all the traits of a textbook narcissist and has been officially diagnosed with bipolar disorder, according to two members of her family. She would never, ever admit to being a narcissist – what narcissist would? – And she chooses not to take medication for her bipolar disorder, dismissing the doctor’s diagnosis as nonsense. For those who know little about this woman, you will come to understand more as you read further.

  Kate reportedly suffered a violent and abusive childhood, which may have triggered her severe narcissistic behavior. In her words, she was “very overly disciplined.” Several people close to Kate, including a sibling, told me that her childhood behind closed doors was a house of horrors for her. I have also been told that, in addition to being regularly beaten by her father, Kenton
, she was also “sexually abused by a family member.”

  While in high school, Kate became pregnant. This will probably be surprising news to everyone who bought her oft-repeated story that she could not conceive naturally. It was just one of many very public lies she told to solidify her carefully crafted image. The sad truth is that Kate’s father forced her to secretly abort the baby, which left her empty and hollow inside, and very angry. She left home at the request of her father, who could no longer tolerate her rebellious behavior and sexual promiscuity.

  Kate didn’t have any marketable skills or a work ethic, but she was driven by hate and resentment toward her father. While still in high school, Kate decided that she would become a nurse so she could marry a wealthy doctor and have children of her own, and would never have to work again. This was her original master plan, and anyone who knows Kate Gosselin knows that, once she gets an idea in her head, there is nothing that is going to stand in her way.

  Patience was not one of Kate’s strong points, however, and she couldn’t wait to get started. She was still in high school, but she was resourceful enough to start her plan in motion, and began EMS training.

  After graduating from Mount Calvary Christian School in Elizabethtown, PA, Kate tried her hand at college, but gave up quickly after realizing that four years of schooling was just too much of her valuable time to waste. She attended Harrisburg Area Community College from June to August of 1994.

  Kate decided to expedite the process of becoming a nurse and applied to the diploma program at the Reading Hospital and Medical Center School of Nursing in West Reading, PA. She attended that school from August 1994 to June 1997, earning her diploma in three years.

  In Kate’s first book, Multiple Blessings, she paints a very romantic picture of herself as a wholesome, God-fearing individual. She quotes from Proverbs and talks about how, as a little girl, she dreamed of meeting her husband, having children and settling down “to live a happily-ever-after kind of life.”

  Unfortunately for Kate, two of her former lovers spoke out to the tabloids to share a few of their own personal experiences with a young Katie Irene Kreider.

  Kate’s one-time fiancé, Adam Miller, said that Kate pressured him into marriage, but he broke up with her after he caught her cheating on him – at her 21st birthday party – with a guy who had even more money to offer her. He had a Corvette! Adam also shared that “Kate was always chasing the money. I spoiled Kate with gifts, like a diamond bracelet and a gold locket, and she loved that. I think one of the main reasons she liked me is that I had so much money flowing.” He said, “My friends didn’t like her.” Adam also said that sweet little Katie Irene, from a church pastor’s home and upbringing was a “sex kitten,” and that she became “very possessive.”

  So it appeared that Katie had found a great guy in Adam, who showered her with money and gifts, moved her into his family’s home, and was going to marry her, like she wanted. So what did she do? She cheated on him. She tried to trade up for bigger and better, with a guy who had a Corvette. Remember, Kate wanted a doctor at this point, but until she found one she would settle for anybody with money.

  After Katie realized that all Corvette guy wanted was sex from a younger girl, and nothing more – no wife, no babies, no future – Kate ran back to Adam, who now wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. So Kate devised a complicated plan to get Adam back: she would date one of his friends to make him jealous.

  Kate started dating a guy named Jason Lentz, who just happened to know Adam. According to Jason, “Kate brought up marriage and kids three months into their relationship.”

  Jason added “Kate was spending weekends at the home that he shared with his mother. Kate did not pay for a thing, and his mom waited on Kate hand and foot. She expected people to take care of her.”

  So after three months of Kate’s games, and her pressuring him into marriage and children already, Jason learned that Kate had been calling Adam to get back together. He said, “Adam confided she was calling him. She wanted to get back together. I wasn’t surprised. I had a feeling Kate was seeing me to stay close to him.” Kate then dumped Jason and moved on in search of her next victim.

  After Adam and Jason, “Kate bounced from guy to guy, at one point even living with two guys at the same time.”

  In June of 1997, Kate graduated from nursing school and was very concerned that she hadn’t yet landed that doctor. She was now going to have to actually go to work as a nurse. She got a job as a registered nurse in labor and delivery at The Reading Hospital and Medical Center.

  Kate didn’t enjoy being a nurse, and she wasn’t particularly good at it. Kate believed she was better than the other nurses who were content with just being nurses. In her mind, she was already in that place where she had always envisioned herself – a wealthy doctor’s wife – and she treated her fellow nurses with contempt and disrespect, as if she thought she was so much better than “those people.”

  Kate was very much disliked by her co-workers. “Nobody could understand why she wanted to become a nurse in the first place. It was obvious that she didn’t like people and had no interest in helping them. She cringed at the thought of touching sick people,” a fellow nurse who worked with Kate told me. “She thought she was better and smarter than everyone else, even though clearly she wasn’t.”

  It isn’t hard to believe that Kate wasn’t cut out for nursing. Besides lacking in empathy, Kate is a self-described manic germophobe and always has been. It is hard to imagine Kate Gosselin wanting to be around germs and sickness all day, every day. After she had children, she was repulsed by her own babies’ poop and pee and germs of any kind. On the “Sextuplets Turn Three” episode of Jon & Kate Plus Ei8ht, Kate basically said her own children were Petri dishes. She and Jon talked on the interview couch about never eating anything the kids make, and they went through the motions of showing the audience how filthy their kids are. During the “RV Trip” episode of Kate Plus Ei8ht, Kate screamed in disgust because her daughter handed a slice of pizza to Steve Neild, Kate’s bodyguard, with her bare hands. Those were her own children that “disgusted” her. It is inconceivable that she would ever subject herself to sick, germy strangers.

  No, Kate didn’t, and doesn’t, like people. She especially didn’t like sick people, which is a bit of a problem for anyone who is a nurse. Unfortunately for Kate, the eligible doctors noticed this about her as well. A former nurse who went to nursing school with Kate said, “Even during nursing school, Kate threw herself at every doctor she could find, even the ugly ones, but was rejected every time. That made her mad.”

  Unable to snare a doctor, Kate had to alter her life plan, which was not easy for her to do. She never wanted to give up, but Kate was still a “lowly” nurse, and she knew she’d have to make a change.

  Although Kate didn’t have anything close to a good bedside manner, she did have a couple of other powerful things going for her. She had drive and determination and she loved to “mastermind,” as she would repeatedly say in the following years. So it wasn’t long before she set her new plan in motion.

  The first thing she desperately needed, though, was a husband. Well, technically, she didn’t really NEED a husband, but one was required because she wanted her “brand” to be wholesome to make sure it would sell.

  WHEN KATIE MET JONNY

  WITH ALL MY LOVE

  Ever since the day we met, I’ve known you were the one for me.

  No one else has ever made me feel as happy, as content,

  as full of smiles as you do. Wherever I am, you are there also,

  even if only in thought, and I know that if we hadn’t met and

  fallen in love, I’d still be looking for happiness.

  Love at Thanksgiving and Always

  – Love, Kate – 11/26/98

  Katie Irene Kreider was on the prowl for a man with money, and her friends knew it. But Kate didn’t give Jonathan Keith Gosselin a second glance at the company picnic they were both attendi
ng – not until one of Kate’s friends mentioned to her that Jon came from a “rich family” that is. “His father is a big doctor in Wyomissing,” the friend said to Kate.

  Having had zero luck in finding an actual doctor to force into marriage, Kate did the next best thing she could think of – she went after a doctor’s son. Kate quickly learned that Jon lived on the “best street” in affluent Wyomissing, PA, and her blood started pumping. Kate also learned that Jon had a girlfriend. “Not for long!” Kate told her friend.

  This is the story of how Jon and Kate met. It is “their story,” in Kate’s own words, as it was written on Jon and Kate’s earliest website:

  “It all started when Jon and I met on October 5, 1997 at a picnic. I never believed in “love at first sight”, but this came really close. Jon was walking across the grass and I saw him and was instantly intrigued! Our eyes met and continued to meet from across the way all afternoon. Finally, I arranged for someone to introduce us…and the rest is history!

  This is how Kate described that initial meeting with Jon in her first book.

  Kate said that she had been a planner her entire life and she took great pride when all of her plans worked out exactly as her detailed, scheduled list and calendar said it should.

  When Jon, a twenty-year-old soccer player sauntered across the lawn in front of Kate, who sat under a pavilion chatting with her friends, Kate says she tried not to watch him for too long because she was at the picnic to be with her friend, not to find a date.