Monday, August 10, 2009

Trashy Celeb Dirt: Kate Gosselin Speaks Out on 'Today'

Enough with the stories about which twentysomething is Jon Gosselin dating today. Now Kate Gosselin, his soon-to-be ex-wife, has taken hold of the PR nightmare that is their divorce and went on the Today Show to provide her side of the story. And the Today Show pulled out all the stops to try to get Kate to cry because crying makes for good TV.

When Meredith Vieria asked Kate why she was still wearing her wedding ring, Kate said, "For them," meaning her children, who she said she's trying to gradually ease into the new situation. Her eyes welled with tears that didn't quite fall down in a shower, though Meredith did pointedly, dramatically, hand her tissue. "I don't want to upset them."

"This is not what any mother sets out for for her children," Kate said of the divorce. "This does not feel like the best for my children, but it's necessary."

Vieria asked Kate about a post-break-up interview Jon had given in which he said Kate was the one who gave up on the marriage last year. To her credit, Kate replied, "Clearly, we both have completely different takes on what happened between us but I feel like the details of that, for the sake of my kids, need to remain private."

"Clearly, his goals are not my goals," she added.

However the heartless Vieria kept pressing -- trying to get Kate to full-on weep perhaps? -- asking Kate how she felt about the fact that Jon was dating the daughter of the plastic surgeon who did Kate's tummy tuck which was televised on Jon & Kate Plus 8. How the heck do you think she felt Meredith? "It's got to be hurtful," Meredith goaded. She then proceeded to ask Kate what she did to contribute to the downfall of the marriage saying, "Marriage is a two-way street. Divorce is a two-way street. What role do you think you played, if any, in what happened?"

I actually felt badly for Kate while watching this interview and got the distinct impression that she was being used to goose up Today's ratings, as the words "Exclusive" were plastered on the screen. This is one reason (among the many) why I stopped watching the Today Show. The interviews started to feel too exploitative.

But certainly Kate knew that this would happen before she set foot on the set. Her live interview had been promoted for days. So perhaps she was simply trying to eek out some sympathy, acquire more people to side with her on Team Kate, as opposed to with her immature husband. Meanwhile, their children are the ones who'll really suffer the most.

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2 comments:

Lisa @ Boondock Ramblings said...

I have to agree that she did seem to be goading her. Trying to get her to cry.

It's a shame these children will have to go through so much pain because of their parents.

I wish they could have handled it differently. Honestly I think Jon is an idiot for how he's handled it. His children will be so ashamed when they get older.

Kate was tough on Jon, yes, but Jon has really handled it horribly. It makes you imagine that before he was completely fake and now we see the true Jon, as he called it -- an immature moron.

becky said...

The bloggers I've known that went on TV were told one thing, and then the interview went another way, or was edited to make it seem different. I tend to wonder what Kate was told they would discuss. Then again, she's been in the spotlight long enough now that she should know they'll try to goad her into saying something too personal. I feel sorry for her. I see a woman who is trying to figure out how to get enough money to raise eight kids and is now stuck with the decisions she made. I wonder if she feels trapped?

Don't get me started on Jon. I have absolutely no respect for him. Running around with different women, posing for pictures. What will his kids say when they are old enough to understand? That man is so very immature.