NEW YORK -- The TLC network has sued Jon Gosselin for allegedly breaching his contract as a star of the hit reality show "Jon & Kate Plus 8."
The lawsuit, filed Friday in the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Md., alleges that Gosselin has failed to meet his obligations as an exclusive employee of the network, while appearing on rival networks' programs for pay and making unauthorized public disclosures about the show.
The suit seeks unspecified compensatory damages from Gosselin as well as a return of income he's received.
"The network has been trying privately and patiently for months to get Jon to honor the contract he signed and to comply with his obligations relating to public appearances and statements," said TLC in a statement on Friday. "Those efforts have been unsuccessful."
Whether this will add more fuel to the ratings fires, we'll see. In recent weeks Jon & Kate Plus 8's ratings have improved on TLC. Though they are far, far from the record-setting numbers the show pulled last June, they have reversed the downward trend and started to go back up, averaging 2.54 million viewers on Monday night.
there is such a short turn around time for production of this show. They air an episode and then go to repeats, air a new episode go to repeats. Neither Jon nor Kate is fun to watch, I actually think the kids are okay, but there are tons of restrictions on when they’re taped.
what are the restrictions on when kids are taped – in Pennsylvania?
And TLC doesn’t think that the slight rise in ratings might have something to do with the fact that Jon is appearing all over the place?
At this point it seems we just have a dailey stream of Jon & Kate news. This story just falls in the stream.
Too bad the show has been cancelled. I’ve read multiple news outlets saying the show is over.
And I pray to GOD the news is final. I cannot WAIT for those two to realize they took TLC for granted when they run out of money and still have 8 kids. I’m guessing they will be in reality shows to win money (at least he will, I’m sure she’ll get some other deal. blech).
I’m more curious about the fact that the lawsuit was filed in the circuit court of Montgomery County, MD. Doesn’t the show film in Pennsylvania?
TLC is owned by Discovery and Discovery’s corporate HQ is in Silver Spring, Md (Montgomery County)
So, I guess this is TLC’s plan to get Jon off the show contract to move forward with Kate Plus 8, huh?
Keep we combine media obsessions to our advantage and send John and Kate aloft in a UFO-shaped helium balloon?
Well, if People is a source of solid information, here’s a link about what they say about the show’s demise in November…
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20312930,00.html
As for child labor laws in Pennsylvania, this article has a few tidbits on that question.
http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/05/jon-kate-investigated-for-labor-law-complaint-.html
Who?
Jon might be gone, but there’s still KATE PLUS 8.
how about if they all start a family project in the backyard…like, say, a big ‘ol helium filled balloon…
they all crawl inside and…
oops…..
How long until Kate pops up in porn?
Granted, my biz is not show biz, but I find it hard to believe TLC has a leg here. Whether Jon is on the show or not, you cannot use the kids without both parents permission, and without compensating both parents.
TLC blew it here by canceling the Jon part of Jon and Kate, because I will bet you anything that voids his contract. Well, I won’t bet you anything, but I will bet you bragging rights.
No matter what his contract says, a court will interpret the ending of financial compensation as voiding the contract. If TLC wants Kate and the kids, they will have to meet Jon’s demands.
Sad thing here: TLC stands for The Learning Channel. Man, that is some seriously fucked up irony.
Holly crap, is TLC seriously thinking!!!NOT, Im mean cmon!!KATE PLUS 8, jon is not dead and certainly not a deadbeat dad, SHOWING KATE AS A SINGLE MOM, PLEASE!!!!He had taken her abusive behaviour on that show for way too long, but heh TLC showed us how wacked out she was, of course for the ratings, my god it was like watching a train reck!!!! And now they have the balls to say Jon went out of control!!! They have so messed up this one. Thanks to Kates help TOO.