Jon Gosselin's Girlfriend Stephanie Lebo Applauds His Exceptional Parenting Amid Intense Kate Gosselin Fallout

Jon Gosselin's girlfriend, Stephanie Lebo, commended his parenting abilities amidst his ongoing dispute with his ex-wife, Kate Gosselin. "There's a reason why a judge granted him custody. In Pennsylvania, it's not common for a father to be awarded full custody; typically, it leans towards the mother," Lebo, 35, emphasized during an interview with The U.S. Sun on Thursday, August 3. She disputed the notion that Jon is an unfit father, which some people claim.

Lebo stated that Jon, who is 46 years old, serves as a father figure to her 13-year-old daughter, Giuliana, from a previous relationship, despite not being obligated to do so.

She further expressed, "I believe that the way you behave towards Kate and other individuals, including Jon, could potentially be linked to your upbringing or childhood experiences. Did you face any unresolved issues during that time that could have influenced your current demeanor?"

Jon Gosselin with girlfriend Stephanie Lebo. The US Sun/MEGA

Lebo’s comments follow the public statements made by two of Kate and Jon’s sextuplets, Hannah and Collin, who are now 19 years old. In 2018, Jon gained custody of the two children. Their criticisms towards their mother were shared during an episode of the docuseries Dark Side of the 2000s in July. Hannah revealed that Collin was often isolated from the rest of the siblings during their childhood. She claimed that he was not allowed to play outside with them and had different meal times. Furthermore, she expressed her belief that their home did not provide adequate support in teaching him about acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

Collin, who was sent to Fairmount Behavioral Health Institution by Kate in 2016 due to his "special needs," has been distanced from his mother. Initially, she gained full custody of her eight children after her split from Jon in 2009. Collin moved in with his father after leaving the institution in 2018.

During Dark Side of the 2000s, Collin made allegations that his mother sent him away because he started disclosing her alleged abusive behavior towards him. According to him, "I began revealing what was happening at home to others, and she found out about it. She had to place me somewhere where I couldn't expose the secrets."

Following the episode's broadcast, both Kate and Collin's sister Mady publicly refuted his account of the events.

In a comprehensive statement on Instagram, Kate expressed, "I have never desired to do this, but circumstances have forced me into a difficult position." She further asserted that Collin had received numerous psychiatric diagnoses throughout the years and was eventually admitted to an institution following an incident involving the use of a weapon during one of his various episodes.

Mady, on the other hand, stated on her Instagram Story that Collin had threatened her and her immediate family physically, as recently as last year. She made it clear that she would not have someone who exhibits violent and hateful behavior as a part of her life.

Jon's representative retaliated against Kate's claims about Collin, stating that they were cruel and false. In a statement to The U.S. Sun, the representative added that Kate's actions seemed to be a way of justifying her past behavior towards Collin, which was inexcusable. The statement continued, emphasizing that true love for a child does not involve a mother attacking her son publicly. It also reminded everyone that a judge had awarded sole legal and physical custody of Collin to his father.

Despite the ongoing family feud, Jon, who continues to be estranged from his other six children, recently made an announcement that brought some positivity. He revealed that he and Lebo have been dating secretly for two years and have finally decided to go public with their relationship. According to Jon, they initially met at a mutual friend's house during a backyard barbecue and have been inseparable ever since.

Jon expressed that he used to believe that all of his relationships would be difficult, but he discovered that things were effortless with Lebo. He shared, "It feels like it took me 19 years to find Steph. Through all the challenges, heartaches, conflicts, and anxiety about being talked about in the media, I finally met Steph."