Jon Gosselin isn't hiding his happiness about TLC's announcement that the network has decided not to renew Kate Plus 8 for a third season.
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"[I'm] very relieved," Gosselin told Radar Online about the network's Monday announcement that it is cancelling the reality series starring his eight children and former wife Kate Gosselin.
"I hope they can have more private family moments," he added. "I hope that this will bring more privacy to my children and that they can get the proper attention they need for any personal issues they might have in the future."
Jon co-starred in Jon & Kate Plus 8, Kate Plus 8's predecessor, with his ex-wife and children without issue for four years until 2009.
However, Jon -- who had previously repeatedly publicly insisted Jon & Kate Plus 8 was not exploiting his children -- suddenly changed his tune about the show and claimed it was "detrimental" to his children after the couple split (following allegations of infidelity on Jon's part) in May 2009 and TLC announced plans to relaunch Jon & Kate Plus 8 as a Kate-focused series that would feature Jon on a "less regular basis."
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TLC immediately honored Jon's request that it "cease and desist" filming his children but alleged he was just following through on a threat to force the network to end Jon & Kate Plus 8 because it had refused to release him from an exclusivity contract clause that he claimed was preventing him from earning "substantial" money by appearing on other television shows.
TLC also sued Jon, claiming he had committed "numerous breaches" of the exclusivity clause and violated several other provisions of an April 2008 contract the family had most recently signed for Jon & Kate Plus 8 -- leading to a $5 million counterclaim lawsuit in which Jon, who had reportedly begun cutting other deals in which he allowed his children to appear on television, claimed the network was hindering his ability to earn money by using the clause to prevent him from working with other media outlets.
A judge then granted TLC's request for a preliminary injunction preventing Jon from making media appearances and endorsements, resulting in his lawyer boasting that the family patriarch held "the key to the Jon & Kate Plus 8 brand" and the network should be anxious to reach a settlement so the reality show could resume filming.
The parties eventually reached a February 2010 settlement in which the entire Gosselin family, including Jon, remained under contract with TLC and Kate Plus 8 premiered (sans Jon) four months later in June.
About The Author: Steven Rogers