NORTH CAROLINA — Once a household name from the hit reality show Jon & Kate Plus 8, Kate Gosselin has stepped away from the glare of television cameras and returned to her roots as a nurse. Now 50, the former reality star is living a more private life in North Carolina, working as a pediatric home health nurse and raising her dogs.
For over a decade, fans followed the chaotic and often dramatic life of Kate and her family on TLC. From 2007 to 2009, Jon & Kate Plus 8 documented the challenges and joys of raising twins and sextuplets. After her high-profile divorce from Jon Gosselin, the show was rebranded as Kate Plus 8 and continued to air until 2017. The public witnessed the dissolution of their marriage and the subsequent custody battles that left the family fractured, with two of the children, Hannah and Collin, now living with their father.
In a recent return to the public eye via her new TikTok account, Kate offered a glimpse into her current reality. She told followers that her content would feature “a lot of dogs… and kids, but mostly dogs and me,” jokingly calling herself a “German shepherd dog mom.”
Why She Returned to Nursing
Despite her years of reality television fame and the money that came with it, Kate has explained that she had to return to nursing to support her large family. In a candid exchange on TikTok, she responded to a fan’s question about her finances. “Honestly? Providing for 8 kids, college funds… and LAWYERS,” she wrote. “Sad bc my kids could have a lot more saved, and I could have a retirement saved if it weren’t for lawyers.”
Before her television career, Kate was a labor and delivery nurse. Her return to the profession sees her working as a pediatric home health nurse, providing care for medically challenged children. This job follows her last major television appearance in 2023 on the show Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, from which she exited early due to a neck injury.
A Family Divided
The public saga of the Gosselin family has continued even after the cameras stopped rolling. Kate’s relationship with her ex-husband, Jon, remains non-existent. Jon has stated that they do not communicate at all, a sentiment Kate has echoed.
Their son Collin has been a particular point of contention. After Kate placed him in a special needs program in 2016, Jon eventually gained custody in 2018. Collin has since spoken out about his experiences, but Kate has denied any allegations of mistreatment. Despite the turmoil, Kate continues to celebrate her children’s milestones, posting a tribute to her sextuplets for their 20th birthday in May 2024.