Couples Therapy: Celebrity Style
This week on ABC’s "Good Morning America," Jon Gosselin
offered a glimpse into his life after the Gosselins divorce announcement -- and the picture he
painted was not pretty. Interviewed by
Chris Cuomo, Gosselin said that he was "abused," by his wife and reality TV
co-star, Kate Gosselin.
Introducing
segments from his "Primetime Family Secrets" special, Cuomo stated that his
interview with Gosselin lasted three hours unedited (it was condensed down to
forty-five minutes for the program). During the interview, Gosselin had a great deal to say about the final
days with Kate.
"I was abused. I went
through therapy," he says of the last few years of his marriage. "She beat me down…like a lame fish."
Gosselin says that when he approached his
wife to suggest couples therapy, she allegedly refused to go unless their
therapist could be fellow reality TV staple Dr. Phil McGraw, who has reportedly previously
shown a willingness to intervene in the lives of high-profile persons.
Gosselin says he was taken aback.
"I said, 'Huh?'…It was all about protecting
the brand [of the Gosselin's TLC program "Jon & Kate Plus Eight"]."
Jon says he declined to take the couple's
marital woes to Dr. Phil, who had no comment for ABC regarding the
situation.
Kate Gosselin also declined to weigh in, saying "For the
sake of my children, I maintain that I’m not going to go into details of
aspects I believe should remain private."
Kate was recently interviewed on CNN’s "Larry King Live," discussing
many similar topics as those covered by her husband on "Primetime," and her
words appeared to suggest an intention to take a more delicate
tone with her public comments.
Neither Gosselin has seemed very interested in shunning the
celebrity spotlight during the dissolution of their marriage. Jon is reportedly considering participating in a new
reality show with co-stars Michael Lohan and Kevin Federline. Gosselin says that his participation in the "Divorced
Dads Club" may depend on what advice he gets from his legal team.
When the interviewer expressed concern that such a show
would send a negative message to his children, Gosselin dismissed the notion,
stating, "It doesn’t matter."
Cuomo pursued the point.
"It matters – if you care about your kids, it matters," he told
Gosselin. The father of eight insisted
that his children knew who he was as a person, regardless of his portrayal in
the media, including, apparently, how he
portrayed himself in front of a camera.
In the same conversation, Jon Gosselin used his time in
front of the camera to address Kate Gosselin directly.
"Stop feeding the frenzy," he said. "Help me out. Go to therapy. Give me
closure."
Gosselin says he "despises" his
soon-to-be-ex-wife. Chris Cuomo gently
suggested that "tit-for-tat" sniping might be counterproductive for all parties
involved, but Gosselin went on, later
stating that Kate had taken his wedding ring.
"She took my ring. Who else would take it?"
Gosselin
said he’d searched for the missing ring under his children’s pillows before
arriving at the conclusion that Kate was responsible.
The couple announced they were filing for divorce on what was billed as "A Very Special Episode" of "Jon & Kate Plus Eight." The show aired on June 22 and divorce
proceedings have reportedly already begun.
The show has continued, with each parent filming segments separately
with the couple's eight children, one set of twins and one set of sextuplets. According to reports, Jon Gosselin has been
frequently seen with other female companions since the announcement, including his current girlfriend,
Hailey Glassman who, Jon tells Cuomo, he already loves more than he did his
estranged wife.
Kate has reportedly continued to wear her own wedding ring, though
after hearing some of her husband's public comments, that may not be a trend
that continues.
Sources: Seattle Post
Intelligencer
