With their marriage on the rocks, there could be a lot at stake for Jon and Kate Gosselin. They reportedly earn up to $75,000 per episode of their hugely popular TLC show, Jon & Kate Plus 8 and if they split (according to family, they already have), there could be a big amount of child support to pay out for one of them should the other get full custody of the kids. Plus, the couple and their children receive a lot of freebies because of their fame and should they split, that could all change.
From Us Magazine:
For the Gosselin clan, it's not just their show -- but their lifestyle -- that hang in the balance.
Kate, who grew up in a trailer park and didn't go on her first airplane ride until her honeymoon to Disney World, now flies only first class for speaking engagements (mostly paid for by churches), sells signed photos of her kids for $20 a pop at appearances, and received a free tummy tuck after giving birth (Jon received a free hair transplant). A family source says while pregnant with the sextuplets, she grew "obsessed" with how many goodies the famed McCaughey septuplets received in 1997.
Jon, now a stay-at-home dad, was fired from his job at Style Craft Corp in 2004 after "spending much more time" on a "quest" for freebies than working, the company's owner, David Rothermel, tells Us. (Rothermel finally has spoken out after growing furious at the couple's well-worn claim that he was fired because the company didn't want to insure his family.)
"Instead of keeping the attention on their kids, they've let the attention turn to money and fame," says a family source of Jon and Kate, who, according to Nielson Media Research, are ranked No. 8 on the list of cable shows with the most product placement.
Marc Berman, senior television editor at Mediaweek, says producers cannot continue to portray the Gosselins as an everyday family trying to raise eight kids.
"Their lives have changed - they're not struggling anymore," Berman tells Usmagazine.com. "They're eating at fancy restaurants now. Yeah, they still have eight children, but things are different.
Below, a sample of just some of the swag they've scored:
- Free beds
- Front-loader washing machines
- New furniture
- Free solar panels for "Going Green" episode
- Clothes from Gymboree and Gap
- Mady & Cara birthday at American Girl Place (2 dolls and birthday package for 2 adults & 2 kids): $710
- Trip to Florida Key's for Jon's 30th birthday
-Tickets to Dutch Wonderland amusement park: $309.50
-1/2 an organic cow from Natural Acres Farm: $1,395.00
-Tickets to Philadelphia Zoo: $104.00
-Tickets to Walt Disney World: $654.00 per day
- Utah house rental (estimate: $5,000), ski lift tickets $72 for six days), ski school lessons ($140 per child)
- Upright piano, which they got rid of when they moved into their new $1.1 million home : $5,550-$6,350
- Violin: $100-$300
- Old house re-carperted
-Crayola Factory Tour: $90.00
-Teeth Whitening (for Jon & Kate): $1,310 (average price for 2 adults)
-Hair plugs (Jon): $5,200 (average cost)
-Sesame Street Place tickets: $509.50
-Day with Thomas the Tank Engine: $180.00
-Beach trip to North Carolina, house rental, Jeep tour
-Sight & Sound Christian theatre tickets: $236.00
-SkyBox at Phillies game
-LegoLand tickets: $550.00
-San Diego Zoo tickets: $278.00
-Grand Wailea Resort (Hawaii) for 2008 vow renewal: Suites range from $725-$1,080 per night.
-2 purebred German Shepherd puppies: $1,000-$3,000 per dog
- Please Touch Museum tickets: $150.00
- Giants grocery store: $5,000 in gift cards and a year's supply of diapers
That's a lot of "stuff" they have scored - but at what price? I'm not against anyone getting freebies - Jon and Kate were struggling to raise eight small children and if people and/or companies wanted to donate to them, that's fine. However, if Jon and Kate are only in this (staying together) for freebies, and the money at this point, then they really need to stop and take a look at what is truly important - the well-being of their family and children. No amount of money or free crap is worth ruining your family life!
[Source]
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