The Kate Gosselin story

My mom has told me for awhile I should share my personal Kate Gosselin story with some of the blogs dedicated to hating her. But I felt like that was kind of unethical since this happened while I was attempting to report on her. I don't make it a practice to blast my sources to the world. And considering the amount of bad press she's gotten and the exponential way her bitchiness has grown, my little story wouldn't resonate in the grand scheme of the KG haters.

But this is my personal fishbowl so here it is:

I first started watching "John & Kate Plus 8" around early 2007, and immediately became obsessed. I was at work one day doing some heavy internet stalking and came across their speaking schedule. Back then, they spoke at various churches around the country for, of course, money. I saw they were speaking at a church in northwest Ohio, which is part of my paper's coverage area, that weekend. I happened to be on the schedule to work that Sunday, so I pitched to my editor that I should attend the event.

I got the go ahead and called the church for details. The pastor was very nice and said I was welcome to come and listen, but he relayed that Jon and Kate's strict contract with TLC didn't allow them to do any non-approved interviews or have their picture or video taken. But I was still welcome to come listen to their presentation and write about what I heard. My editor was down with that but said I should call TLC and have them send any promotional pictures we could use. I left a producer with TLC a message. I saw that Kate had her personal e-mail address on their Web site, so I sent her an e-mail, not thinking there was any chance I would hear back.

I was wrong.

Kate e-mailed me back a very nasty e-mail in ALL CAPS demanding I not come to their speech and said if I came I would be kicked out. She said she and Jon did these speeches as Jon and Kate Gosselin, not as their "Jon & Kate Plus 8" personas. It went on and on and to be honest, I can't remember what it said, but it was mean just like her.

The pastor then called me and said Kate called him and was threatening to cancel their appearance if I was there. He apologized but asked if I please would not come since they had already promoted this to their congregation. He said I was welcome to come as a guest but asked I not come as a journalist. We obliged because, in the end, it wasn't that big of a deal. But legally, I would've had every right to go to the church and write about their speech. If it's open to the public, it's open to media. And if Jon and Kate were so worried about media reporting on their speaking engagements, they shouldn't post the dates, times and places on their Web site.

So that's it. Kate is mean, but Jon is still King Douche.