Twenty years. It has been two decades since the world first met two crying twins and six tiny, squirming infants in a Pennsylvania living room. Most of us remember the organized chaos. The Tupperware. The matching outfits. The "Kate haircut." But the reality of Jon & Kate Plus 8 now in 2026 looks nothing like that grainy 2007 footage.
The kids are no longer "plus 8." They are adults. Some are working corporate jobs in Manhattan, others are launching businesses in rural Pennsylvania, and several are still navigating the wreckage of a family split that didn't just happen on camera—it was fueled by it.
Honestly, the Gosselin family tree hasn't just branched out; it’s basically two separate forests at this point.
The Great Divide: A Family Split in Two
If you’re looking for a big, happy 2026 reunion photo, you won't find one. The family is deeply polarized. On one side, you have Kate Gosselin, who recently turned 50 and lives in North Carolina. She’s largely surrounded by the "core four" of the sextuplets: Aaden, Alexis, Leah, and Joel.
On the other side is Jon Gosselin. He’s back in Pennsylvania and finally seems to have found some stability. In November 2025, Jon officially remarried, tying the knot with his longtime partner, Stephanie Lebo.
The guest list at that wedding told the whole story.
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Hannah and Collin were there, front and center. The other six? They weren't just absent; they’ve been estranged from their father for years. Jon has admitted in interviews that he hasn't spoken to some of his children in over a decade. It’s heavy. It’s messy. And according to the kids, it’s mostly because of the trauma of growing up in front of a lens.
Where the Kids Are Today
Mady and Cara (The Twins)
The "big girls" are 25 now. Mady and Cara both headed to New York for college—Syracuse and Fordham, respectively—and they’ve largely stayed in the city.
Cara is working as a financial analyst at Bank of America. She’s the private one. You’ll rarely see her on social media unless she’s popping up in a rare TikTok with her sister. Mady is a bit more visible, though she famously wiped her TikTok clean a couple of years ago after getting fed up with the "reality TV kid" comments. She’s currently working in the skincare industry and living that quintessential Brooklyn life.
The Sextuplets (The "Little" Kids)
They aren't little. They’re 21.
Hannah and Collin are the outliers. Hannah is currently at college in Pennsylvania, though she previously spent time in Florida. She’s the "bridge" of the family—the only one who consistently speaks to both parents and all her siblings. She even launched a beauty brand, Gosselin Girl Beauty, a few years back.
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Collin's journey has been the toughest to watch. After being discharged from the Marines due to his childhood institutionalization, he’s become an entrepreneur. In March 2025, he launched "Gosselin Pressure Washing LLC" in Pennsylvania. He’s also currently writing a memoir that he says will include "financial proof" regarding his time on the show and his treatment by Kate.
The rest of the set—Aaden, Alexis, Leah, and Joel—are all in college in North Carolina.
- Aaden is at Western Carolina University.
- Joel is studying accounting at UNC Charlotte (and reportedly worked a shift at Chipotle to keep things grounded).
- Leah is a huge "Swiftie" and often shares baking videos on TikTok.
- Alexis remains the most private, still obsessed with animals and living a quiet life near her mom.
Kate’s New Life and the "Secret" Marriage Rumors
Kate Gosselin is a nurse again. That’s the detail that usually shocks people. Despite the millions made during the TLC heyday, Kate has been vocal about the fact that raising eight kids, paying for eight colleges, and funding years of high-profile lawyers basically drained the coffers.
She works as a pediatric home health nurse in North Carolina.
Recently, she sparked a massive internet frenzy when she appeared on TikTok wearing a massive diamond on her wedding finger. People assumed she had secretly married her boyfriend, Steve Neild. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he was the family’s bodyguard back in the 2000s.
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Kate eventually had to post a "jewelry tour" video to shut the rumors down. "I've had these rings for 15 years," she told her followers. While she and Steve are very much a couple—she "hard launched" him on Instagram in late 2025—they haven't officially walked down the aisle.
The Reality TV Hangover
The most fascinating part of Jon & Kate Plus 8 now isn't the drama—it's the perspective.
Collin and Hannah have been vocal about how the show "tore the family apart." Collin recently noted that the public shunning his father faced was largely based on a narrative controlled by the production. Meanwhile, Mady has defended her right to privacy, telling the public that their "behind-the-scenes" life is nobody's business.
There is a clear sense of "post-fame" fatigue. Most of the kids are actively avoiding the spotlight. They want degrees. They want 9-to-5 jobs. They want to be known for something other than a birth order or a temper tantrum that aired in 2008.
Key Takeaways for Fans
- The Rift is Real: The family remains split into two distinct camps (Jon's and Kate's), with Hannah being the only consistent link between them.
- Education First: Almost all the kids have prioritized college, with several already working in finance, healthcare, and accounting.
- Financial Reality: Despite the show’s success, both parents have faced financial hurdles, leading Kate back to her original career in nursing.
- Future Revelations: Expect more "truth" to come out as Collin’s memoir approaches its release date.
If you’re following the Gosselin saga, the best way to support the kids is by respecting their professional boundaries. Follow Leah’s baking or Hannah’s business updates, but remember that most of them are trying to build lives that have absolutely nothing to do with TLC. Keep an eye on the Pennsylvania business registries and North Carolina's nursing boards—that's where the real story is happening these days.