Exes Kate and Jon Gosselin celebrate sextuplets' 16th birthday, fans demand a new 'TLC 16 update show'
Remember how reality stars Kate and Jon Gosselin gained popularity for their eight children — two twin daughters and sextuplets? Their sextuplets are 16 now! Unbelievable, right?
The stars took to social media to wish their sextuplets — sons Aaden Jonathan, Collin Thomas and Joel Kevin, and daughters Alexis Faith, Hannah Joy and Leah Hope — on their 16th birthday. Meanwhile, their twin daughters, Cara Nicole and Madelyn "Mady" Kate are now 19.
Calling them "Hershey Kisses", Kate wrote, "Happy 16th Birthday to my half a dozen 'Hershey Kisses', as they were called at birth! I love you so much! You’re 6 of the sweetest things to happen to my life! Thanks for making every Mother's Day extra memorable!"
She added, "They requested 'junk cereals' for their birthday lunch (?!) so I got a bit carried away, as usual, and got them 21 different kinds!" along with a picture of a large Hershey's Kisses cereal box.
The couple first came on television in a Discovery Health special, 'Surviving Sextuplets and Twins', in September 2005. One year later, they got another special titled 'Sextuplets and Twins: One Year Later.' They soon got a reality TV series 'Jon & Kate Plus 8', which first began on Discovery Health and later shifted to TLC.
After a 10-year marriage, the two decided to separate and announced it on the show. Their separation was highly publicized, including a verbal spat, when cops had to intervene. Even after the divorce, Kate's controversial relationship with her ex-husband has been the talk of the town.
Following a long custody battle, Hannah and Collin live with Jon and the other four sextuplets live with Kate. Their twin daughters, Cara and Mady, have moved away from home for college.
In 2010, their TLC show was renamed 'Kate Plus 8' and it was reportedly one of the network's highest-rated programs, with the fifth-season premiere seen by a record 9.8 million viewers. Season six, however, was canceled due to dipping popularity.
No sooner did she post the Instagram message, several fans were shocked to see the grown-up kids and demanded a new reality show.
"Oh my goodness how on earth are they already 16!! I have grown up watching y’all and the show was the only thing to get me to sleep each night when I was younger. Happy sweet sixteen Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Lean, & Joel!! I love you guys," one wrote.
Another said, "Well I feel old. I was only a few years older than they are now when I started watching the show. Crazy." Another wrote, "I am OLD. been watching them since Season 1 Episode 1."
"You need to do a TLC 16 update show!" one fan wrote and another said, "Happy birthday and Mother’s Day I hope there will be another episode on this major milestone @tlc." Some wondered whether they had learned to drive. "Wow! How do you teach 6 kids at once how to drive???"
A few, however, slammed her for abandoning her kids. "Kate, you suck as a mother! So glad TLC fired you! You must be so mad that you couldn't get a Sweet 16 episode out of them," one posted.
"Go get Collin back in your life," one wrote and another said, "Too bad you disown 2 of your kids." One posted, "I hope you are able to make amends with Colin and Hannah. I hope John is able to make amends with the other 6. Nothing is more important than family and it’s never too late to forgive each other."
Jon also shared a loving message for his kids. "Happy 16th to my six wonderful kids!! Been a long road I wish all the best!!! Wow 16!!!! Love you all!!!" he posted on Instagram.
The photo he posted read, "Happy 16th birthday to Hannah and Collin!!! I miss you Leah, Joel, Alexia and Aaden. I hope your 16th birthday is just as memorable. Love, dad."
The two even penned down their parenting journey in a bestselling book. Jon co-wrote 'Multiple Blessings: Surviving to Thriving with Twins and Sextuplets' with then-wife Kate Gosselin and Beth Carson.
Later, Kate wrote two other books, titled 'Eight Little Faces' and 'I Just Want You To Know : Letters to My Kids on Love, Faith and Family'.