Reality TV's Newly Single Dad
It's one thing to go through a midlife crisis. But when you buy a Manhattan bachelor pad and wear super-rad T-shirts and date party girls while your soon-to-be ex-wife juggles eight kids at home, and those eight kids are the subject of a popular reality show, you find yourself on lists like this one. Prior to this year, Jon Gosselin was the good guy, the star of TLC's Jon & Kate Plus 8 who was often at the receiving end of barbs thrown by his high-strung wife Kate. Then came the paparazzi pictures of him stepping out of a Pennsylvania bar with a mystery woman. Rumors of an affair ensued, Jon seemed indifferent to family life, and the couple announced their separation on the program. As Jon clearly relished the role of public bachelor, the verdict was in: this guy is a bit of a nightmare. TLC fired him and sued for breach of contract. He countersued, claiming the network violated child-labor laws in filming the program. To everyone's relief, TLC finally pulled the plug on the show, with the Jon & Kate legacy boiling down to three words: those poor kids.