Collin Gosselin Says TLC Offered Jon and Kate $2 Million Through Dr. Phil to Stay Married for the Show
by Sari Moon · Thought CatalogBy Sari Moon
Updated 48 seconds ago, October 16, 2026
In his 2026 memoir, Collin Gosselin writes that when his parents told TLC in January 2009 they planned to divorce, the network countered with $2 million to stay married and keep performing an intact marriage for the cameras. He says the offer was delivered through Dr. Phil McGraw.
Collin, now 22 and one of the sextuplets from “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” wasn’t in the room. He was 4 at the time and says he found out much later.
He describes the arrangement as “essentially a contract marriage,” made “not for love or healing, but for the show, for the franchise.”
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A McGraw spokesperson told Us Weekly the allegations are “false,” that he was never asked to make or deliver any such payment, and that he has “never met” Collin. McGraw’s long-running daytime show was a CBS Studios production, a point his camp used to deny any financial stake in the TLC series.
Pieces of this have surfaced before. Jon Gosselin told DailyMailTV in 2019 that TLC offered “more than $1 million” to stay married for two more seasons, though he attributed that money to network executives rather than to McGraw.
Both Jon and Kate acknowledged a 2009 session with McGraw at the time, with Jon saying it covered “the brand and corporate things.”
Jon and Kate announced their separation on a June 22, 2009 episode that drew 10.6 million viewers. A Pennsylvania judge finalized the divorce that December.
Kate has not addressed the $2 million or Dr. Phil claim specifically, and TLC has not commented.
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