Kate & Jon Gosselin Both Find It ‘Painful’ The Family Is So Divided On Sextuplets 15th Birthday
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With four of the sextuplets living with Kate Gosselin and the other two under Jon’s roof, the exes wish their children didn’t have to spend a birthday apart. It’s a ‘bittersweet day’ for both parents.
While it’s a wonderful milestone, the Gosselin sextuplets’ 15th birthday (May 10) serves as a reminder of their tricky family situation. Jon Gosselin, 42, could only pose besides Hannah and Collin for his birthday tribute post on Friday, although he did give a shout-out to the other sextuplets that live with Kate Gosselin, 44, — Alexis, Aaden, Joel and Leah — as well. The family portrait didn’t go unnoticed by Kate, Jon’s ex-wife. “Kate finds it painful to see son Collin and daughter Hannah be with their dad on their birthday, however, she also understands that it’s their choice and they’re really happy to be with their dad,” a source close to the Gosselin family EXCLUSIVELY tells HollywoodLife. But the siblings (who also have two older sisters, twins Cara and Madelyn, 18) would be spending the day differently, if it were up to the mother of eight.
“She wishes all of her sextuplet kids woke up under her roof on their birthday together,” our source notes, but “she truly just wants them to be happy.” And Kate still pushes for all her children to keep up contact with one another, no matter their address. “She’s very encouraging to all of the children to maintain a relationship with their siblings even though they have chosen to live elsewhere,” our source reveals. “It’s kind of a bittersweet day for her, but she honestly feels she’s trying her best.”
The TLC star didn’t make the photo with Hannah and Collin below, but she “still considers herself close with Collin and Hannah,” even if they live with Jon. Despite this “close” relationship, our source also claims that “some would say that’s really not the case, and she just puts on that front to the public eye when in reality, Collin hasn’t spoken to Kate in quite some time.” Jon was also awarded temporary full custody of Collin in Dec. 2018, who proceeded to move into Jon’s household before Christmas.
Meanwhile, Jon just wishes he could see his six other kids as well. The father estimated that it has been roughly six years since he last spoke to the rest of his brood during an EXCLUSIVE interview with HollywoodLife in Dec. 2018. “Jon is thrilled to have Collin and Hannah live with him. He desperately misses his other kids and has tried several times to connect with them, however, he knows this day is about them, so he feels like they see what he posts on social media where he wished them a happy birthday,” our source reveals. “He knows they want nothing to do with him and of course, that makes him sad. He feels he’s done all he can and maybe when they’re older things will change. The family is very divided, however, Jon too supports and understands the kids wanting a relationship amongst themselves.”
But Jon isn’t letting the family dynamic affect Hannah and Collin’s 15th birthday. “He plans on making the day very special for Colin and Hannah,” our source tells us. “They’ll celebrate with his girlfriend, Colleen [Conrad].”
Kate had her own celebration for Alexis, Aaden, Joel and Leah, showing off a series of Instagram photos of the four teens in front of a cake, going out for a birthday lunch and another where they were surrounded by wrapped presents. Next to the pics she wrote, “Our big celebration of #15 is finally winding down here! We celebrated ALL DAY LONG, beginning with a present at 6:30 am before school!😳 I’m so very thankful for my ‘babies’…. somehow they are 15 already?! I’m amazed by them each day! I’m so proud of the positive qualities I’ve seen developing as they edge closer to adulthood. It hasn’t been easy for them, especially over the last year and a half, but they continue to persevere, stay positive and make lemonade out of lemons (to the point where I’m pretty sure I’m allergic to lemons, but what’s a mom to do?!🤯) but no matter what, these kids keep on keeping on! Such good, wholesome, loving, insightful, wise humans and I’m just so proud to call them mine! I love you guys to the moon and back a hundred billion times x infinity.”