After months of speculation, the 10-year marriage of Jon & Kate Plus Eight’s stars Kate and Jon Gosselin appears to be coming to an end.
Documents to initiate a legal split were filed at the Bucks County Courthouse in Reading, Pa., Monday afternoon.
Fans who have watched the couple’s popular TLC show – or read the voluminous coverage of the Gosselin marriage in the press – will hardly be surprised: The duo had long maintained a tense relationship, with Jon recently telling PEOPLE he wanted a less high-profile life, while Kate appeared to remain committed to their TV career.
In a new teaser video from Monday’s special hour-long episode of John & Kate Plus Eight, a teary Kate Gosselin says, “We haven’t really known where we were going but we’ve been dealing with this a long time.”
She can only be referring to the couple’s marital problems, which she and Jon addressed in the season 5 premiere of their show.
“It just got worse and worse and worse,” Jon said, “And with all the tabloids and all that, it just made it even worse.”
A promo for the show, which aired Wednesday, promised that the couple, who’ve been married for 10 years, will make an announcement.
“People think I’ve changed,” Jon says in the new teaser. “And I have changed. I’m now the person I know I am.”
“We can’t go back now. We can only go forward and that’s what we’re going to do,” Kate says. “And we’re going to learn a lot going forward and I know that we’ll all come out of this on the other side, hopefully stronger, better wiser.”
In a new promo for the June 22 episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8, embattled couple Jon & Kate Gosselin reveal that they will make a life-changing announcement on the reality show’s next episode that “will affect every member of our family.”
“A family in turmoil,” “A relationship at a crossroads,” and “Where do they go from here?” are the phrases that flash across the screen.
A voiceover by Kate Gosselin says: “Recently, we’ve made some life-changing decisions – decisions that will affect every member of our family, ones that we hope will bring each of us some peace.”
The special one-hour episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8 will air on TLC on Monday at 9 p.m. (EST/PST).
In response to the recent controversy centered around photographs of Kate Gosselin publicly spanking her daughter Leah, the John & Kate Plus 8 star tells Life & Style exclusively through her reps:
“Whether the paparazzi are there or not, I am a mother first. I love my children and when they misbehave, I discipline them as I deem appropriate for the situation.”