Jon Gosselin has been in a secret relationship with girlfriend Stephanie Lebo over the past two years, the couple revealed Tuesday.
The former Jon & Kate Plus 8 star, 46, and his new love interest, 35, spoke to The Sun about their romance after meeting at a mutual friend's backyard barbecue.
The Wyomissing City, Pennsylvania-born reality star said he 'had been single for a few months' when he and Lebo crossed paths.
Prior to that, he had been in a seven-year romance with Colleen Conrad, 53, prior to their amicable parting in August of 2021.
Gosselin said of meeting Lebo, 'It was a hillbilly thing we let fireworks off, it was fun. I had been single for a few months after Colleen and I broke up.'
The latest: Jon Gosselin, 46, has been in a secret relationship with girlfriend Stephanie Lebo over the past two years, the couple revealed Tuesday
Lebo explained to the outlet, 'It was a graduation party and birthday party for our mutual friend’s nephew’s birthday, but he knew it was my birthday too so he got me a special lotus candle so when it spun around it opened up.
'Afterwards I got tagged in a post about it on Instagram and Jon wrote, "That was a super cool candle" and I wrote, "It was super cool to meet you."'
They continued to speak via text, and Gosselin said he reached out to their mutual friend Dean, who was host of the party, about a potential relationship.
'I called Dean because he is like Steph's brother and I said, "Did you ever hook up with Stephanie?" and he said, "No man she's like my sister,"' Gosselin said. 'And then I called Stephanie and asked her the same she said, "No way he's like my brother."'
He continued, 'So I called Dean back and said, "Do you mind if I ask Steph out?" And he said, "No I don't mind, but if you hurt her I'll kill you, I'll snap you in half." And he's a big guy!'"
Gosselin found fame with ex-wife Kate Gosselin, 48, on the TLC show Jon & Kate Plus 8, which ran from from 2007 to 2017 for a total of 11 seasons.
They were wed for 10 years prior to her filing for divorce in 2009, at the height of the family's reality TV fame.
They are parents to eight children: twins Mady and Cara, both 22, and sextuplets Collin, Hannah, Alexis, Aaden, Leah and Joel, who are 19.
DJ Jon: The former TLC star was seen working a turntable in a recent Instagram post
Music Man: The former reality star has been working as a DJ in recent years, which at times can consist of at least a dozen gigs a month
The family was back in the headlines last month following the airing of the Vice TV documentary Dark Side of the 2000s, after son Collin slammed his mother's behavior, to pushback from her and his siblings.
Lebo said she was aware of Gosselin's fame but was not a regular viewer of the series.
'I did know who he was when I first met him, although I haven't watched the show as faithfully as some others have, but I knew who he was and I had seen him DJing before,' she said.
'So I knew about his past and everything although I was never Team Jon or Team Kate because I just didn't know enough or watch the show that much.'
Gosselin in June proudly announced all eight of his children celebrated graduations this year but only attended one due to his estrangement with six of his kids.
'I had eight graduations this year,' the former Jon & Kate Plus 8 star, 46, revealed to People while attending Kickz for Kids charity in June.
He continued, 'I only attended one. The only kids I see and talk to are Hannah [Gosselin] and Collin [Gosselin]. So I've been pretty much estranged from Mady [Gosselin] and Cara [Gosselin] for nine years.'
Twin sisters Mady and Cara just graduated from college, while his sextuplets - Collin, Aaden, Joel, Hannah, Alexis and Leah graduated from high school.
Reason to celebrate: Former Jon & Kate Plus 8 star Jon Gosselin, 46, revealed all eight of children celebrated graduations this year, but he only attended one; he's seen in July 2022
Fractured family: Jon disclosed he only has ongoing relationships with daughter Hannah and son Collin, both 19; the rest of his six children are estranged; the kids are seen in August 2021
According to Jon, he and Kate attended the same high school graduation for their kids, but they kept their distance from each other and didn't cross paths. though they didn’t cross paths.
'Hannah invited Kate and… we saw each other, but there was a whole football field between us,' the Pennsylvania native said of the one graduation he went too recently.
He went on to add, 'I talked to Hannah and Collin before graduation to make sure that it was gonna be cordial.'
Their father, who now works as a DJ in recent years, went on to reveal that Aaden, Leah, Joel and Alexis Gosselin all still live with their mother.
'At first it was very difficult, but now it's, you know, you hope for the best, but you don't dwell on it, you know what I mean?' the proud dad shared of his estrangement from six of his kids.
'Maybe we'll develop a relationship in the future,' he said of his hope to rekindle relationships with them, adding, 'but yeah. I can't put all my eggs in one basket like I used to and then be upset about it.'
Jon and Kate were married for about 10 years, beginning in 1999 through until their divorce in 2009.
It was Jon who went public and revealed that Kate wanted the divorce, while she contended that 'Jon's activities' left her with 'no choice but to file legal procedures in order to protect' herself and the children.
Supporting the kids: The father of eight confessed both he and Kate attended the one graduation, but they kept their distance from each other; the former couple divorced in 2009 after about 10 years of marriage; Kate is seen in June 2019
Reality stardom: Jon and Kate starred together on Jon & Kate Plus 8 which was later renamed Kate Plus 8, for about 10 years, from 2007 to 2017
After the split and divorce, Jon began dating Liz Jannetta, a divorced mother of three who works with computers, in January 2012. They dated for about two years until then decided to go their separate ways in 2014.
From there the former reality dad dated Colleen Conrad for seven years but ended up calling it quits in 2021.
During the recent interview with People, Jon confessed that he hasn't 'talked to Kate in years.'
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