Jon Gosselin of the once-popular television reality series "Jon & Kate Plus Eight" is in the preliminary planning stages of a lawsuit against his ex-wife, Kate Gosselin, for primary custody of their sextuplets, according to published reports. He claims that the children "live in fear" of their mother and that they want to live with him. He plans on filing an emergency petition for custody once he has the money to cover legal fees.
Gosselin has been in conflict with his ex-wife over child custody since their divorce in 2009. He says that the last straw for him was when their two 13-year-old twins were interviewed on national television with their mother and were silent when asked about their lives. The interview received widespread coverage as being particularly uncomfortable, due to the girls' reticence combined with their mother telling them to "spit it out."
Jon Gosselin allegedly waived his rights over the kids' television appearances in order to avoid having to make child support payments. While some sources claim that the older kids feel that their father "sold them" and that they don't want anything to do with him, others believe that their mother's influence in their lives is toxic. The younger kids, say sources, simply don't realize or understand what's going on behind the scenes.
Child custody and support issues can often be contentious aspects of divorce proceedings, and custody agreements are sometimes challenged after the divorce is finalized. An emergency petition may be required if one parent feels that the other is endangering the child's safety or health. There has been no response to date from Kate on the allegations made by her former husband.
Source: The Huffington Post , "Jon Gosselin To Sue Kate Gosselin For Primary Custody Of Sextuplets", January 22, 2014