Kate Gosselin is pushing back against rumors that have followed her for years, using TikTok Lives to clear the air and open up about her current life. The former reality star, who became famous with Jon & Kate Plus 8, spoke directly about money, her relationship with her kids, and the pressures of raising a large family in the public eye.
One of the biggest accusations she wanted to set straight was about her children’s college funds. “That I stole my kids’ college money,” Kate said during a recent TikTok Live, according to Fox News. “They all have their college money, all the money that was in my control, anyway. And they have more than enough for college. That’s not a thing. That never happened. I’ll just leave it at that.”
Kate also addressed speculation about her relationship with daughter Hannah, who has lived with her father Jon Gosselin for several years. “Hannah’s texting me,” Kate explained. “First of all, the misconception that Hannah and I don’t talk—we always have … Hannah and I have always talked. She comes and visits; she is in touch with the kids all the time. Not true.”
While she admitted there are plenty of misconceptions about her, those were the two she felt mattered most to address.
These days, Kate works long shifts as a pediatric nurse. Earlier this month, she shared on TikTok what her days often look like: “Today was a busy day, it was another 12-hour day. And so now I work again tomorrow morning, so I have my dishes loaded into the dishwasher … so I can go to bed and get up early and do it all over again.”
Some followers have wondered what became of the money she earned during the show’s run. Kate was candid in her response. “Honestly? Providing for 8 kids, college funds which I am proud to say covered all of their college and more, and LAWYERS. Sickening, but I was drug into court constantly, and that costs A TON,” she said, per Page Six. “Sad bc my kids could have a lot more saved, and I could have a retirement saved if it weren’t for lawyers. It’s OK. I’m helping other families, and I feel needed, and I enjoy helping!”
Her online presence has also given her a chance to respond to her son Collin’s recent claims that she created distance between him and his siblings. In a TikTok video titled “Kitchen talk and tips,” she reacted to a screenshot of Collin’s post, suggesting she had driven a wedge in the family. Kate wrote back, “He knows why…”
Some fans used the moment to share a different perspective of her now. One admitted, “Looking back now, I can see how you were portrayed as the villain and you weren’t. I apologize for ever thinking that.” Another wrote that while they once thought she was too harsh, they now see her as “intelligent, organized, and efficient.”
Kate replied with gratitude, saying, “I was really trying to do my very best… just a bit overzealous at times. But only bc I cared SO SO much about my kids.”
Her comments came just a day after Collin, now 20, shared an emotional TikTok post. He uploaded an old photo of all eight Gosselin siblings set to Adele’s “Hometown Glory,” followed by another image of himself alone.
His caption read, “Forced apart, pitted against each other. All the fame and money in the world, but what about kids being kids? I will always love them more than anything. The tears I shed behind closed doors, thinking about the memories we could’ve shared. I love you guys.”