The Gosselins are either in a ton or absolutely no legal trouble regarding child labor, depending on who you talk to. Pennsylvania has been investigating the family after reports came in that the children are working much more than they’re allowed – last year they shot 41 episodes. Some have argued that they’re not really working because it’s a reality show, but it’s not like unobtrusive cameras are just following them around. Celebitchy pointed out that their entire lives are being coordinated around the show, and frankly I wouldn’t be surprised if scenes are reshot. It’s definitely work, and it’s definitely invasive.
According to Radar, Jon and Kate could face criminal prosecution, the show could be axed, and they could even lose the kids. I can’t help but wonder what the order of priority is amongst those three consequences.
Jon and Kate Gosselin could be criminally prosecuted and their show faces being shut down as a result of an ongoing child labor law investigation by the state of Pennsylvania, RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned.
Timothy M. Kolman, a Pennsylvania attorney specializing in labor and employment law for more than 20 years, told RadarOnline.com that last season’s 41 episodes of Jon & Kate Plus 8 could be considered the equivalent of temporary employment for the Gosselin kids. “The (state) law forbids temporary employment. The state does not authorize temporary employment under any circumstances for children this young,” Kolman told RadarOnline.com.
And if the state investigation categorizes the 41-episode as temporary employment, the Gosselins and the show face possible stiff penalties. (The Department of Labor will make the determination about temporary employment, says Kolman.)
“If it’s found that there is a problem, the Department of Labor can sue the parents,” Kolman told RadarOnline.com. Under Pennsylvania child labor laws, he says, “the parents can be prosecuted by the Department of Labor and Industry. Under those circumstances (they) could face a criminal proceeding.”
They would not face prison time but could be subject to a fine.
[From Radar]
Apparently part of the issue is that the Gosselin kids need work permits to be on the show. Kids are only 6 month permits, and never full-time or temporary ones. They’re allowed to work on a single project only, though the permits can be rendered. No one will say whether or not they have permits, so that issue is up in the air. Even if they’ve got them, the kids aren’t allowed to work as many hours as they’re putting in.
Kolman said if the Department of Labor finds the Gosselins are violating the Pennsylvania statute, the parents can be criminally prosecuted under Pennsylvania Child Labor Law. Even worse for TLC, the show could be shut down and the Gosselins’ case could be referred to social welfare agencies in Pennsylvania, who could potentially remove the kids from the home!
The good news for TLC and the Gosselins is that case law is almost non-existent on this issue. “There is almost no case law on the interpretation of this,” attorney Kolman told RadarOnline.com. “It will be up to the department” to make a determination.
[From Radar]
It sort of sounds like the Gosselins don’t really need to worry, since there’s so little case law. Worst case scenario, maybe they have to back off on the filming. Which would only be a good thing – clearly their family is suffering as a result of their show and their fame. I doubt they’d be given a fine, let alone lose their kids, considering there isn’t much of a precedent for it. It’s sad that authorities have to step in and remind them to focus on their kids, but it seems like that’s where things are at right now.
Jon, Kate and some of their children are shown being gifted a pink scooter by the guys from “American Chopper” while filming footage for their show on 5/22/09. Credit: INFPhoto
Best. News. EVER!
ditto
Please, TLC pull the plug! I’ve never watched this show and I’m sick of seeing these people!
The last photo here is great evidence of J & K’s lack of interest in their children. Look at the body language. Other than publicity stills, I don’t recall seeing any candid photos of them laughing and hugging their kids.
Thank God!! Finally we might get these people off the air!!
Maybe they can shut down the Duggars too! =D
Great to know you are a body language expert Joe. My goodness, if and when you have kids, I hope you are never photographed NOT hugging, kissing, looking at, or adoring your children. I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t take their eyes off of their children EVER.
I hope that they do have to stop taping as much.
Kate’s sister in-law must be having a ball with all this! She must be saying, “take that Kate! for not letting TLC pay me for babysitting!”
Holy cow Batman!
please, TLC, for the love of God, shut it down……….
What these poor kids go through (especially the twins) breaks my heart.I feel so bad that they probably won’t be able to be happy whether the show stays on or not, because if tlc pulls the show you know Kate will be hell to live with since it seems she’s the one the fame and money is important to. And if the show stays on they have to continue to live a manufactured life with no privacy or normalcy for who knows how long.
Uh oh, someone might actually have to get a real job now.
Great news but doubtful anything will happen. At least it opens TLC eyes on what the public/fans are thinking about so maybe they will pull back on exploiting the children. I don’t believe the other family of multiples on TLC are being filmed as fequently at the Gosselins.
Let me tell you a bit about the show:
first of all the kids all have at least a few pre-rehearsed, pre-written lines in each show, down to when they say “Jon and Kate Plus Eight” and “next time on Jon and Kate Plus Eight…” etc. For all we know, they might have other pre-rehearsed lines. Only Jon and Kate and the producers know for sure.
Secondly, there are lots of times when they re-shoot things that already happened. Great examples are every birthday they’ve had since they were about two. They have their actual birthday, which is very low-key (no cameras around) and then they have their “show” birthday for the cameras, which is always a big production and to-do. The kids are apparently so used to this (it’s all they know) that they think everyone has two birthdays: a regular one and one for the cameras.
Not only that, but to get enough footage for 40+ episodes a year (remember a lot of the stuff they film doesn’t make it into the episode, they always tape a lot more than they use), they have to film the kids a LOT. A one hour episode requires about forty or so hours of set up, taping, and re-taping (just think about the interviews on the couch, the preparation when they are going places, going on trips, etc).
So for every one hour episode the public sees, the kids actually went through a 40 hour workweek of taping. You can’t tell me this is just a little bit of unobtrusively taping the kids while they are going about their everyday lives.
They don’t even do much taping of ordinary events anymore, anyway! Think about the Harlem Globetrotter episode, in which the kids traveled to the game, met the guys before the game in a private room, joked around with them while the cameras rolled, got presents from the players, saw tricks the players did just for them, etc and THEN watched the game and got to go out on the floor of the arena, all that stuff. What we saw was about 20 minutes of the hours they spent traveling there, being with the guys, watching the game, and being applauded as they were marched out there during halftime and then going home.
It’s exhausting for adults, much less five or six year olds.
Make no mistake: the show isn’t just their full-time job, it’s their lives.
I would hope that during the investigation someone is assigned to talk to these kids and see how they’re really fairing.
I wonder if anyone thought to ask the children if they want to continue doing the show.
these poor children… their idiot parents have no idea they are ruining their lives. children don’t want fame and fortune. they want, and deserve, a happy & secure family. laws need to be passed on their behalf. children deserve a voice…
Aunt Jodi and Uncle Kevin on CBS pleading on behalf of these kids
Finally got round to seeing some of this show. I don’t know about previous seasons but it looked to be all about Kate (granted this was about her birthday). I feel for the kids. They get to do some cool stuff but what price are they paying?
I think when you have a herd, while you might love your kids, you really can’t connect emotionally on an individual level. That’s why we have a deeper, more intimate connection with our cats and dogs than we do with our cows and pigs.
so what about all the child actors, pageant contestants, young singers etc? isn’t that considered work? this seems more like a case of heaping more crap on people who already have a lot of problems than anything else.
if you guys really looking for a bleeding heart, think about all the children in third world countries who actually DO go to work… in sweat shops, or worse, sex trades. or are kidnapped and recruited into gangs… etc. this country really is turning into a bunch of pansies.
i’m not saying things couldn’t be better for the children, just think the level of outrage is a bit over the top.
What has been bothering me for a few days. (yes I need to get a life) is that the kids may end up with nothing at the end of all this.
what if they grow up resenting their parents, decide to become estranged and then Jon and Kate cut them off. I’m sure it doesn’t seem possible but it is.
Ana, that’s been bothering me too. But… I doubt there will be anything to ‘cut the children off’ from. By most accounts, they’re worth approx $10 million between the two of them. After a divorce settlement that amounts to about half. The way Miss Kate spends money on herself, that money will be gone. I don’t know much about the guy, but he seems pretty self centered himself so… don’t count on the kids getting anything out of all their hard work.
This is all assuming the show goes off the air in the near future.
ChristinaT that’s exactly the point: child ACTORS are protected by child labor laws. There are all sorts of laws and protections and guidelines in place for them! And it’s not their actual private home life on the camera, it’s them playing a role.
Very big difference. There is virtually no protection for kids in a reality TV show.
And I’m capable of caring about this AND being concerned about countries with no child labor protections.
@anastasia: oh gawd, how terrible for these kids to have to meet famous people, joke around and get gifts… how can we allow these atrocities to continue? somebody please think of the children!!!! *Eyeroll*
when i was a kid, my parents would drag us out to various relatives’ houses where we’d continue to be bored for 5-7 hours while they socialized… no presents, no jokes, no nothin… it’s too bad they didn’t call CPS on them cuz ya know…we really needed to be outta that hellhole QUICK! *double eyeroll*
I think a point nobody has realized as yet is that it would NOT be Jon and Kate who faced criminal prosecution for breaking Child Labour Laws…it would be TLC and, specifically, the production company under TLC producing the show.
Moreover, do you really think TLC doesn’t have a lot of very good lawyers employed who investigate these matters ahead of time and make sure they comply with any state or federal regulations?
I think this, like most of the stories about Jon and Kate for the last couple weeks, is a lot of “sound and fury signifying nothing”.
I really don’t care if the show goes off the air. Mostly, I am tired of hearing about it.
ChristinaT are you for real???? God, I hope not.
Wait, shouldn’t the producers be sued? I think the Gosselins just need to lose the show, because Kates a whore and Jon’s a pussy. LOL, Sorry just opinion, but I hate anyone that would put their kids through this, but they did not have to be given the opportunity.