Relationships | 02/03/2009 10:45 am

TV Star Kate Gosselin Says Octuplet Mother Nadya Suleman Went too Far

By The Staff at wowOwow.com

Kate Gosselin, star of TLC’s popular reality show "Jon & Kate Plus 8," knows from big, chaotic families. As the title of her show suggests, Gosselin’s the proud mother of eight children — a set of twins and sextuplets — that she and husband Jon care for with a mix of teamwork, efficiency and a whole lot of love.

Like Nadya Suleman, the unmarried California mother of six who just gave birth to eight babies, the Gosselins used fertility drugs to conceive their big family — but they knew when to stop. Though she has no regrets, Gosselin thinks unemployed Suleman went too far and today offered some harsh words via the New York Post. Here are some highlights:

Q: Do you think Nadya did the right thing in having these octuplets, after already having six children?

Kate: I believe that every life that is created has a purpose. However, personally, I would never have set out to even have a seventh child — especially if I was a single parent!

Q: Nadya is not married, and there’s no father that we know of. Is this a problem?

Kate: Absolutely. The workload that Jon and I share is often even too much for us! It is unimaginable the amount of work she will have to bear as a single mother raising eight preemies as well as six other children.

Q: Do you think Nadya is cognizant of what’s in store for her?

Kate: No. I can honestly say that no amount of planning ahead prepared me for what I faced. And in comparison, I had three-year-old twins and six preemies … and a helpful husband. And we struggled in every way — physically, emotionally and financially.
Q: How do you think this will affect her other children?

Kate: There will be various reactions, ranging from helpfulness, involvement to resentment of the complete chaos and lack of attention the older six will now receive.

We’re curious, readers, what are your thoughts on Suleman’s decision?

79 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Like maybe 8 too far???

By f p on 02/03/2009 10:52 am

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No, 14 too far. I wonder if any of the medical professionals involved ever, ever gave a mental evaluation to this woman before they so quickly inpregnated her.

By Diana T on 02/04/2009 9:39 am

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Actually, for a single mother with no job I think she’s about 13 too far.

By R.J.B. Reed on 02/03/2009 11:07 am

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I was a single mother with 1, and that was hard enough. I stopped having children after having 2, and I still firmly believe that was enough.

By Michele S on 02/03/2009 11:31 am

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Seriously, Kate Gosselin, Ms. Suleman’s likely role-model, needs to stop offering “advice.” Neither Gosselin parent has a job. They make their money exploiting their six small children. Husband Jon described his kids last month as “marketable.” Way to provide, Pops! Nadya Suleman is just following in the Gosselin’s footsteps. How the media has not connected the dots on this one is beyond me.

By Maggie Vas on 02/03/2009 11:34 am

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Unless he quit his job, the husband does have an IT job…

By C Hardy on 02/03/2009 1:51 pm

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What Maggie Vas said. The Gosselins’ should keep their traps shut about other people’s decisions, and should get jobs and raise their kids in the normal way instead of marketing them as entertainment. Then, and only then, would they have a right to say anything about anyone else’s decisions. We, as a society, and the media are just encouraging people to exploit their children. It’s shameful.

By Marina B. on 02/03/2009 11:42 am

These people are on the same level as stage parents who dress their kids up and carry them to auditions in search of fame and fortune. I believe several former child stars have had a lot to say about this sort of exploitation of children. Where , on earth, have we gone, when children are expected to provide for parents and not the other way around?

By Sally K on 02/03/2009 11:49 am

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The decision to use fertility drugs is between the parent(s) and their doctor. It must be a difficult decision even for productive, committed couples who have no other way to reproduce. However, I can’t wrap my brain around the positive side to a single woman, unemployed, without a committed partner going through with this. Just because it is physically possible, doesn’t mean it is smart or ethical.

By nj vp on 02/03/2009 12:01 pm

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I say dump him,he’s definately not all that

By lainey jacobson on 05/20/2009 5:07 am

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PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE - connect the dots folks: look up the Dionne Quintuplets and see how what their family (and country) did to them is no better than what the Gosselins are doing to their children. I know we have Child Actors - but they have RULES and REGULATIONS - reality shows have no rules. The kids can be filmed (and it has been televised) semi-nude, in a home with professional studio lighting, and with no SUPERVISION by a on-set tutor/counselor/advocate. That is my main gripe with this show - and it is basically child exploitation since the parents went from working (like the rest of us) in a modest but reasonably-sized home to being seen as “tv stars” (and no job except the show and their appearances) and a 1.2 MILLION dollar home - BOUGHT BY THE CHILDREN, not the parents. Something is not right there. So, of course this woman wants to have a huge bunch of children - SO SHE CAN TRY AND LIVE THE HIGHLIFE LIKE THE GOSSELINS!!! THE MADNESS HAS TO STOP! Me - I’ve turned the show off a month ago, and I pray for the kids every night. And to demonstrate how myoptic the Gosselins are: husband was quoted about the “marketability” of his kids and she has said “the show is our life and our life is the show”.

By Beej Okin-Larkin on 02/03/2009 1:16 pm

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You are incorrect about the Gosselin’s. Kate is a registered nurse who continued to work for a year to 18mos after giving birth to the sextuplets. Jon is in IT and was able to finally freelance and work from home 2yrs after the children were born. The money that they make from their show and of which is earned by the children (all eight of them) 50% must go into a trust account that they receive at the majority (the Jackie Coogan Law) and the other maybe used for living expenses. Kate is merely stating that SHE wouldn’t have done this as a single parent because SHE would not have been able to handle all the day to day needs of all the children by herself and that that would have caused emotional neglect. I agree, and I use to be a child abuse investigator.

By Tina Walden on 02/03/2009 1:20 pm

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I never even knew this show existed, not into this sort of TV. But I don’t understand the fascination of watching these people. I brought up my children, they are bringing up theirs, do it privately.

By Sandbee (FB) 54 on 02/03/2009 2:04 pm

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A single mother with no job should not be having all these children. One should have be enough. She’s got to stop thinking in terms of having children but in also the long process of raising them. That is 9 months of having a child compared to 18 years of raising a child.

By Grande Camper on 02/03/2009 2:15 pm

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Sister bashing is alive and well on this blog. The focus should be on the care of the Suleman babies and the children Ms. Suleman has at home. I may disagree w/Ms. Suleman’s “choice” to bring 14 children into this world, however I support her decision and wish her all the best. Her road will be rough, but with the support of family, church and community all should be OK. As far as Kate Gosselin. I watched her on Larry King and took an immediate dislike to her. If she’s the medical professional that’s cited on this blog, then she’s a disgrace to my profession. Health professionals should focus on the health of the individual and refrain from being so judgemental.

By OC Gal on 02/03/2009 2:49 pm