Biography
- 1997
First Comes Love
At a picnic, Kate Kreider, a registered nurse, meets Jon Gosselin, a network engineer. "Everything clicked," Jon says. "It sort of felt together like it never felt before." On June 12, 1999, the couple marries in a friend's back yard in Wyomissing, Pa.
- 1999
Then Comes Twins…
The newlyweds, desperate to have children, begin fertility treatments due to Kate's polycystic ovary syndrome. Their intrauterine insemination (IUI) results in the birth of their twin daughters, Cara Nicole and Madelyn Kate, on Oct. 8, 2000.
- 2003
And Septuplets!
Hoping to add one more baby to their family, the Gosselins begin fertility treatments again. "We figured we would have twins again," Kate tells PEOPLE. But she ends up pregnant with sextuplets. On May 10, 2004, Jon and Kate welcome Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Leah and Joel. "I've fought through a pregnancy where every minute was a battle," Kate says. "I will not fail my kids."
- 2006
Reality Calls
Discovery Health produces a documentary about the Gosselins' family life, and TLC picks up the family for their own show, Jon & Kate Plus 8. "We call it the family job," Kate explains of raising their brood on camera. The Gosselins are a big draw, becoming the network's highest rated series, with 2 million weekly viewers.
- 2008
'I Do,' Times Two
The couple have a second wedding ceremony in Maui, Hawaii, with all eight of their kids in attendance. Twins Cara and Mady serve as their parents' best woman and maid of honor, respectively. "Big news: We love each other, and our marriage is not about to crumble," Kate tells PEOPLE after the ceremony. Echoes Jon, "I'm not running away."
Kate, The Author
Kate writes the book Multiple Bles8ings, detailing her and Jon's journey of having and raising their eight children. It sells more than 272,000 copies, and is followed up with a picture book, Eight Little Faces. Both books make Kate a best-selling author by 2009.
- 2009
In the Headlines
Weeks before their fifth-season premiere, reports surface linking Jon to 23-year-old Deanna Hummel. Although he says, "I did not cheat on Kate," Jon does admit to showing "poor judgment." But the public scandal rocks Kate's world. "I don't know that we're in the same place anymore, that we want the same thing," she says in her first PEOPLE cover story.
Kate Plus 8
The Gosselins file for divorce. "Jon's activities have left me no choice but to file legal procedures in order to protect myself and our children," Kate says in a statement. The mom of eight adds in a telling PEOPLE interview, "I've never quit anything in my life. It feels like I've failed." Weeks later, Jon moves on romantically and is eventually dropped from the show, which undergoes a name change, Kate Plus 8.
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Photo Credits
BIOGRAPHY (top to bottom): Courtesy of The Gosselins; Courtesy of The Gosselins; Courtesy of The Gosselins; Karen Alquist/TLC; TLC; amazon.com; WENN
- Name
- Kate Gosselin
- Real Name
- Katie Kreider
- Date of Birth
- March 28, 1975
- Birth Place
- Wernersville, Pa.
- Relationships
-
Jon Gosselin, husband (1997 to present; divorce pending)
- Children
-
Cara, twin daughter (10/8/2000)
Mady, twin daughter
Alexis, sextuplet daughter (5/10/2004)
Hannah, sextuplet daughter
Aaden, sextuplet son
Collin, sextuplet son
Leah, sextuplet daughter
Joel, sextuplet son
