Jon Gosselin’s open letter / Twitter apology

Straight from a “Where Are They Now?” episode Jon Gosselin made some ripples in the celebritydom swimming pool today when he issued a long apology letter on Twitter. In the letter Jon repeatedly states that he no longer wants his children on television and that all of his attempts to prevent TLC from filming them and his ex-wife Kate Gosselin have been denied by the courts.

He also attempts to elicit a bit of sympathy by mentioning his struggles to find employment since he is contractually forbidden – or as he states, “barred from accepting entertainment deals that would generate income for my family due to contractual obligations.” (Has he considered selling off some of those free Ed Hardy shirts? There’s a couple thousand bucks right there!)

Here’s the full letter:

On Friday 15th October 2010, @jongosselin1 said:

As you may or may not be aware, I have been working for some time to remove my children from television. I do not believe being on TV is beneficial to any of them. They are no longer toddlers that are oblivious to what is going on around them. They are now six and ten, in school and desperately in need of a normal life.

Each of them has experienced negative effects of having their lives so public. Some are struggling with emotional and/or behavioral issues. My goal for my children is for them to have a normal childhood, and gain back their much deserved privacy. This is not about money, this is about my children. No amount of money is worth the price my children are paying. You cannot put a price on childhood. Money comes and goes, but you only have one childhood.

For those questions about money and support, I can say I am supporting my children to the best of my ability. All parties involved know the truth about this. I am and have been actively seeking employment. I have been barred from accepting entertainment deals that would generate income for my family due to contractual obligations. I am also actively looking for a job outside of the entertainment industry and so far, have not secured a position. In the mean time, I have been focusing on spending time with my children and providing a safe, stable, normal and private environment for them!

On October 13, 2010, I went to court to act in the best interest of my children- to remove them from television. The judge respectfully denied my plea, and granted filming rights to their mother. I honor the judge’s decision, but I do not support it. I will not stop fighting to remove my children from television. It is not a child’s job to support themselves, or a lifestyle, they need to be kids. I would like to apologize to my friends, family, and especially my children for not taking a stand earlier in my life and not questioning my decisions to have our lives documented and displayed. I will have to answer to my children for the rest of my life. I will have to live with this guilt the rest of my life. I am truly sorry!

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So what do you think? Is this a new and improved, de-douchified Jon Gosselin or just sour grapes? (The debate may be a moot one anyway since there seemed to be little interest in Kate Plus Eight.)