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

by Robert Hoffman

  Here are some of Kate’s early thoughts on God. These were written at a time when she was still doing speaking engagements and asking for money from the Christian community, and successfully convincing the world that she was a devout Christian mother struggling financially to raise her family.

  God brought this their way as part of His continual blessing of them.

  She feels that God is using them to do the extraordinary.

  God will take care her when she flies because He loves her and wants the best for her.

  God will always provide for them and He has their best interests at heart.

  God not only provides their needs but sometimes their wants like her tummy tuck surgery.

  This is all God’s will for them. Ask and you shall receive. You have not because you ask not.

  God is challenging Kate to buy what they need and He will continue to provide for her. God comforts Kate while she’s shopping.

  Kate believes that God will answer her prayers and they will be able to do a television commercial.

  God is sending income her way through the filming of her family.

  God provided the TV series and the money so Kate could stay home with the children until they go to kindergarten.

  Kate doesn’t want to work and she feels God urging her to quit her job.

  God asks Kate to do the things she does.

  Kate prays to God to provide the necessary funds to continue their lifestyle.

  Kate prays to God for advice on what they should do about redoing the girl’s bedroom.

  Kate prays to God to work out a scholarship for the kids to a private school.

  Kate prays to God for Jon’s complacency to leave him and for him to become a man of integrity.

  Kate isn’t shocked about getting a second season of the TV show but amazed at God’s provisions and the way He decided to go about it.

  Kate prays to God to send them the right house when He’s ready.

  Kate began to doubt God because she hadn’t heard back about doing a TV commercial.

  Free dentistry for eight kids was another miracle from the Lord.

  The miracle of the week was that God made Tony from Alexia Foods call her and send her two cases of Julienne French fries and two cases of their crinkle fries.

  Kate prayed to God about not having to go to work anymore. Just the thought was soooo amazing!

  God sent Kate’s sister to them with 250 cans of organic tomatoes and organic butter and He had her load them in the garage.

  Kate prays to God for nice weather on a specific day so it’s convenient for her. She asks for an exact temperature of 75 degrees.

  Kate thanked God because the farmer is charging her half price for his strawberry seconds.

  Kate begged the Lord to help her be a loving, caring and slow to anger mommy. She pleaded with Him to stop her from hurting her children and to be slow to anger. She asked God to help the kids obey her.

  Wow. God helped Kate get Julienne fries, crinkle fries, organic tomatoes, organic butter, strawberries and 75-degree weather for filming! Helping her be a “loving caring kind and slow to anger mommy” must still be a work in progress.

  Kate wasn’t content to rely solely on her own personal prayers to accumulate a bounty of riches, so she began soliciting money from churches around the country, and putting the word out that she and Jon were available to come and “share their unique story.” Kate was the one who did the soliciting; it was not the other way around as she tells it. She was the one with the plan, from the very beginning.

  The following is text taken from one of Kate’s speaking engagement forms she used to get churches and organizations to cough up money for her. It is custom-tailored to exploit her reputation as a good Christian mother.

  Ours is a story that is encouraging to everyone who hears it! It is a story of God's hope, grace and love in a time when there was a lot of uncertainty, fear and doubt! Anyone who listens can apply these same lessons in their own lives!

  We enjoy speaking but are still surprised at the demand! We know it is what God is asking of us!!!!

  Many people wonder why we do the show. We like to travel and tell the story, our history to give a background and answer the question: why we do what we do!

  1. God is in control.

  2. God is Gracious and Strong.

  3. Trust in God.

  4. God is love.

  5. God will provide.

  6. Give God the Glory and Praise.

  Kate’s references to God also showed up frequently in her journal when she wrote in detail about her morning sickness and how it wasn’t fair that she should suffer more because she had already suffered enough trying to get pregnant. Here are more instances of Kate’s extensive writings on praying to God, realizing God’s intentions, and understanding God’s lessons in every part of her life.

  Kate marveled at the grade of God who was preparing them for something that would test their strength, endurance, tenacity and sanity.

  Kate prayed about not wanting to jump ahead of God in her quest for another baby.

  God sent an angel to Kate in the form of her daughter to deliver a message of reassurance.

  Kate felt the peace of God wash over her. She would be treading on holy ground and needed that peace to sustain her life as He walked her through the minefield of surprises that awaited.

  Kate had more than mother’s intuition because she had already carried twins. She had “the voice of God.”

  Even though science and humans had given their best efforts, Kate’s pregnancy rested in God’s hands.

  God was succeeding in teaching Kate life lessons. He told Kate that He was in control of Kate’s children, not her. He loves them more than she does.

  God was again teaching Kate lessons, this time that she needed to swallow her pride and ask for help.

  Everyone around Kate felt the almighty hand of God working through her.

  Kate was beaten, bedraggled and holding on by a thread, but because of God, she was adding life to the party.

  Kate prayed to God to get her pregnant as she lay there looking at the ceiling.

  God chose Kate to go on this journey.

  God knew Kate’s children by name before Kate did.

  God and a social worker allowed Kate and Jon to move into the Ronald McDonald House.

  Kate was the planner but God handled all the details.

  God spoke to Kate while she was drying her hair.

  God put people and businesses in Kate’s path to remind her that he was still there. One was C.J. Pony Parts. They gave Kate and Jon gift cards to Target and Giant.

  God sent more angels to Kate to show her His love.

  God supplied Kate and Jon a new house.

  Kate spoke to God often, questioning Him if He was sure about some of His decisions regarding her. She went through her list with God. Why did He only give her two hands and six babies? And the small house? Oh and Lord, Jon has no job. How will we provide for our children?

  Kate knew that God would simply reach down, scoop her up and carry her. He’s gracious and strong.

  God is not only persistent but also tireless. He literally begged Kate to write a check, get a family’s address and mail it to them immediately.

  God taught Kate that she would never be able to out-give him.

  God didn’t only allow things to happen to Kate, He actually hoped to accomplish things through her.

  God decided that Kate, with her direct, blunt and even dangerous mouth should now bring glory to Him by having Kate stand up in front of people and spread His word.

  No wonder the whole world is so screwed up. God is spending all of His time taking care of Kate Gosselin.

  Since Kate’s writings featured God so heavily, it would be safe to assume that her personal website, kateplusmy8.com, which she launched in 2011, would be jam-packed with references and prayers to God, just like those writings in her journal entries above.

  Well, you know what they say a
bout assuming. There is not one mention of God, or anything remotely associated with God or Kate’s belief in Him, on her website. The site has been up for close to two years, and there it is, right at the top: a tab called “Inspiration” where you would think she could post a biblical passage or two. But when you click on that tab, a page opens that says … “COMING SOON!” Below that, there is a picture of Kate and her children with country singer Taylor Swift.

  Coming Soon! could mean that the page hasn’t found a sponsor yet. Remember, Kate Gosselin only does things for money. Coming Soon! could also mean that she is just too lazy to look for inspirational sayings or bible verses because they are not important to her.

  In case you haven’t looked, Kate’s website is loaded with everything that would interest a 13-year-old child, including many blog posts from Shoka the dog. Yes, you heard right. Kate has taken time out of her extraordinarily busy days to ghostwrite blogs from her dog, about what he’s thinking and doing…and eating. Kate has written many entire blog entries from Shoka the dog, but she hasn’t taken a moment to post any inspirational bible passages. Not one.

  This is in stark contrast to Kate’s original website, sixgosselins.com, which was up and running when she first started conning Christians out of their hard-earned money. This was on that site’s home page, front and center:

  “For you created my inmost being;

  You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

  Your works are wonderful,

  I know that full and well.

  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,

  When I was woven together in the depths of the Earth.

  Your eye saw my unformed body;

  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

  Psalm 1 39: 13-16”

  All these years later, into March of 2013, this quote appeared on the Home page of kateplusmy8.com, the “Official site for all things Kate Gosselin & Kids”:

  What’s meant to be will be. It is better to be hated for who you are than loved for who you’re not.

  Don’t let what others think define who you are. Be bold and courageous, when you look

  back on your life you will regret the things you didn’t do more than the things you did.

  What appears to be the end is really a new beginning.

  – Unknown

  This is who she is today, according to her website:

  News & Events

  Ask Kate

  Fitness

  Fashion & Beauty

  Just My 8 cents Worth

  Lovable Products

  Inspiration

  Kate + Rumors

  Words From Fans

  Shoka Diaries

  K8’s Kids

  So where did Kate’s religion go? It’s a completely fair question, especially since as of March of 2013 she had the following quote prominently displayed on her Home page:

  “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.”

  – Ayn Rand via @ Share Awakening

  Uh, oh. Does Kate even know who Ayn Rand was? I’m guessing not, because if she had done even the tiniest bit of research before choosing one of Rand’s quotes for the front page of her website, she would have learned that Ayn Rand was an atheist who rejected all forms of faith and religion. It is inconceivable that this woman, who is supposedly so committed to God and religion, and who was so adamantly opposed to selective reduction, would ever choose to honor Rand by displaying her words on a website. These Frequently Asked Questions appear on the Ayn Rand Institute website:

  What was Ayn Rand’s view on abortion?

  Excerpt from “Of Living Death” in The Objectivist, October 1968:

  “An embryo has no rights. Rights do not pertain to a potential, only to an actual being. A child cannot acquire any rights until it is born. The living take precedence over the not-yet-living (or the unborn).

  “Abortion is a moral right—which should be left to the sole discretion of the woman involved; morally, nothing other than her wish in the matter is to be considered. Who can conceivably have the right to dictate to her what disposition she is to make of the functions of her own body?”

  What was Ayn Rand’s view on charity?

  [From “Playboy’s 1964 interview with Ayn Rand”]:

  “My views on charity are very simple. I do not consider it a major virtue and, above all, I do not consider it a moral duty. There is nothing wrong in helping other people, if and when they are worthy of the help and you can afford to help them. I regard charity as a marginal issue. What I am fighting is the idea that charity is a moral duty and a primary virtue.”

  Given Kate’s actions, can we surmise that she does, in fact, share Rand’s beliefs, and that her carefully crafted image of Christian mom was just an elaborate façade to scam people? Or is it simply that Kate’s laziness and stupidity caused her to include on her website a quote from a person many would find offensive and intolerable? You can draw your own conclusions.

  (Note: In late March 2013, Kate removed all the quotes from her website’s Home page and began using that space to promote her new [old] cookbook, Love Is In The Mix: Making Meals Into Memories with 108+ Family-Friendly Recipes, Tips and Traditions, due out in September of 2013.)

  This is not the only example that runs counter to Kate’s Christian image. In July of 2012, while being interviewed on local radio station Y-102 in Reading, PA, Kate was asked if she had read the book Fifty Shades of Grey, and she answered that, yes, she had, in fact, read it. Fifty Shades of Grey is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes featuring elements of sexual practices involving bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, and sadism and masochism (BDSM).

  It is probably safe to say that this book did not make any of the Christian bestseller lists. It most certainly is not a book Zondervan, the Christian publisher of Kate’s books, would ever touch.

  I wonder if Kate would have admitted to reading a book like that a few years ago when she was fleecing kind, trusting church members out of their hard-earned money, all the while preaching the word of God with her hand out.

  Kate will insist over and over on Twitter that she hasn’t changed, though.

  “Whoever claims to understand God is either arrogant or needs a psychiatrist.

  It contradicts the whole idea of God.”

  – Father Karl, Stift Heiligenkreuz Abbey

  THE WORLD ACCORDING TO KATE

  “Stand with me or stand against me!”

  – Kate Gosselin

  Kate Gosselin’s world is a very unsettling place. Anyone who has ever crossed paths with Kate knows that she speaks, acts and believes that she is better than everyone else. She knows better than her ex-husband, Jon. She knows better than her eight children. She knows better than her parents; and her siblings; and her cousins, nieces and nephews. She knows better than doctors and lawyers and television executives, and she sure as Hell knows better than the people who watch her television shows and follow her on Twitter. This is Kate Gosselin’s reality world.

  Kate would like everyone to believe that she has many friends; however, despite her desperate tweeting to the contrary, she has no real friends at all. She has paid employees like her bodyguard Steve Neild, or paid friends like Jamie Cole Ayers. She likes it that way, though. She likes to be in control. She has said this herself numerous times throughout her television shows and during interviews.

  Kate has banished everyone of any importance from her life, and the lives of her children, because they “had opinions of their own” about how to raise her children, or save her marriage, or anything really for that matter. Kate does not want to hear any opinion other than her own. Rather than hire an experienced, professional nanny with knowledge of how to raise and care for children properly, Kate hires high school and college-age girls who would be intimidated to volunteer any of their own thought
s on the children, let alone disagree with anything Kate has to say.

  Kate does not tolerate anyone telling her anything that goes against what she wants. “Stand with me or stand against me!” she infamously told Jon during a filmed discussion in the family’s garage.

  Kate’s parents; her siblings; Jon’s family; Judy the nanny; Bob and Beth Carson: all gone. The children’s father, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and their favorite caregiver: all gone from their daily lives. This 2012 tweet from Kate responding to one of her tweeties sums up all you need to know about why this is: Don’t question my mothering – thanks!

  The remainder of this chapter provides a small glimpse into the mind and world of Kate Gosselin. It gives examples of Kate’s interactions with people, and clearly illustrates not only her extraordinary sense of entitlement and self importance, but her eagerness to paint herself as a victim.