Oh boy, I'm watching Larry King Live right now. This is madness. She says that they never set out to be celebrities? Ya, that's why she wrote 2 books and is touring all over the country to promote them. I love how she said the kids don't know any different when it comes to the cameras. A perk of the show to her is that they have the ability to work from home. She says one parent is always home with the kids. Doing the show has answered their financial needs. They're always working, always deadlines to turn in as it's a full time job. The show comes with public scrutiny. She's dealing with it. She wrote the book for the kids...so they know they're special and unique so they have no doubts she loves them. We're a family doing what every other family is doing, it's family life.
Here's the transcript from CNN:
Let's go to our first guest, Kate Gosselin.
Her family's life is chronicled on the TLC reality series "Jon and Kate Plus 8." She's been with us before. It's lovely -- lovely looking, Kate. It's good to have her with us.
She's author of a terrific new book, already a best-seller, "Eight Little Faces
A Mom's Journey." There you see its cover.
What a wonderful family.
She's got this charming book out. The sextuplets turn five on Sunday -- Mother's Day. What an appropriate time.
Yet the big buzz is about the tabloid allegations about her husband, Jon.
So let's take care of that first.
What's the situation?
How are you coping?
KATE GOSSELIN: The situation is the tabloids are going crazy again. You know, it's a result of our situation -- our very public lives. We, as you know, have a reality show. Everyone wants to know everything about us. And I feel like this is a situation where, you know, you can't believe everything that you read. You know that. I know that.
And so we are dealing with it privately. We are handling it one step at a time. And I think the important thing to remember is that we love our kids to pieces. They are safe and happy and healthy. And of all times, their birthday is coming up. And I'm just thanking God for five wonderful years with eight wonderful kids. And, you know, we're just -- we're focusing on them.
KING: That's a good idea.
Now your kids, the sextuplets are turning five. The twins will be nine.
Are they aware of all this?
K. GOSSELIN: Fortunately, kids are kids. It's a situation where, yes, Kara and Mady are turning nine. They attend a very quiet, private school where, you know, people aren't paying attention to that. They're investing their time in their kids' education and activities. And, no, they are, at this point unaware. But they are very aware that we love them very much.
KING: We have a statement -- your husband issued this statement: "These allegations are false and just plain hurtful. As I adjust to the attention that comes from being in the public eye, I need to be more careful and aware of who I'm associating with and where I'm spending my time. The bottom line is I did not cheat on Kate. I'm sorry for putting my family in this awkward position, given some poor decisions and bad judgments I've made recently. I'm working through this difficult time with my family and my family is my top priority."
Do you know what he means by difficult times and bad judgment?
K. GOSSELIN: Well, this is a situation where, you have to understand, we are a couple, we are a family who didn't set out to live, you know, the celebrity lifestyle. We are living our lives like a normal family. Cameras come in and film us. And that, to the world -- to the public, makes us celebrities.
I do not like that word. I am not a celebrity...
KING: But...
K. GOSSELIN: ...I am a mom and a wife. And I feel that Jon is having difficult times realizing that, you know, you can't go to the grocery store without people whipping out their cell phones, calling everyone they know and taking pictures of you. He is dealing very poorly with it.
And I feel like these, you know, things are making him realize, oh, my gosh, I cannot go anywhere without everyone knowing...
KING: Are you...
K. GOSSELIN: ...who I am.
KING: Kate, are you now sorry you did this series, because you made the decision to become the celebrity?
K. GOSSELIN: You know, I am not sorry, because I look at life as a glass half full is my attitude. And I feel like we have learned a lot, the kids have gained a lot. We have benefited a lot. And life lessons is -- you will see in our show. And this is full of life lessons.
KING: OK.
K. GOSSELIN: Life happens. And, you know, we all have to react to what happens to us. And I choose happiness. And I choose to survive anything.
Kate's sextuplets have lived nearly all their lives in front of the cameras. What's going to happen when the cameras go away?
KING: That's quite a show -- and quite a hit show.
By the way, one other note on this question of the husband. The 23-year-old woman with whom some publications allege Jon has been involved with also denies there's been an affair and she says she and Jon are just friends.
How do the children handle cameras?
K. GOSSELIN: You know, they don't know anything different. The camera crew, to them, is a bunch of playmates. When we're not filming, they're hanging out with our crew, who love our kids very much. We handpick them as far as how they interact with the kids. And we're very fortunate to have a very wonderful production company and crew. And we work very well together.
They love them. They scream and shout when they -- when they show up.
KING: How about when they go away?
K. GOSSELIN: They hug and kiss them.
KING: What's -- what's the best thing about having this seen on television?
K. GOSSELIN: The best thing for us, to be quite honest, is the ability to be able to work from home. I realize, as my career has changed and grown, I am taken away from home more and more often. But one parent is always home with the kids. And the majority of the time, both of us are home.
And I feel that that is the best thing, because when I was, you know, pregnant with sextuplets thinking how in the world are we going to provide for these kids, how do you afford day care for eight kids and all of those thoughts, this has answered that problem.
And, furthermore -- which is very crazy to me, our show has become inspirational to people. They tell me via e-mail they turn off the TV and they're glad, you know, that they only have two kids to take care of. And if we can do with it eight, they can do it with two.
So that has been an added benefit. And I appreciate those encouraging e-mails from fans.
KING: All right. That's the pluses.
What are the minuses, Kate?
K. GOSSELIN: Well, you know, the minuses are the fact that Jon and I never get to leave work. We are always working. It's -- you know, you're finishing the e-mails, the conference calls, the calls late at night. There's always deadlines and things to turn in -- the stuff that you don't see, the behind-the-scenes of filming a show.
The kids are just living their lives. They're just playing. They -- they're oblivious to all of this and the cameras following them. But it's a very, very full-time job. And it comes with a lot of public, you know, scrutiny, as is evidenced in the current media -- things that nobody enjoys.
You know, I -- I'm -- I'm dealing with it and I'm -- I'm thick skinned. But, you know, that is definitely a humongous negative.
KING: You...
K. GOSSELIN: Everybody has an opinion.
KING: You're a noble lady.
By the way, Kate's posted a sextuplet birthday message on our blog. And you can check it out and post your comments at CNN.com/larryking.
Why -- why did you write this book?
K. GOSSELIN: You know, Larry, I wrote it for my kids. I wrote "Multiple Blessings" for my kids. I wrote "Eight Little Faces" for my kids. I want them to know that I did not set out to have eight children. That's very obvious. But each one of them is special to me and unique. And I want them to have written down so that there is no doubts ever in the future that I love them individually and as a group. And I -- I honestly have the best eight kids that there are and I'm very grateful.
KING: What were you doing before having children?
K. GOSSELIN: I was working as a nurse, saving money so that I could get married and have children.
KING: How did this TV series come about?
K. GOSSELIN: Actually, Discovery Health, the production company, e-mailed us and -- and said we're doing things on larger families, would you be interested in doing a documentary?
Knowing that they have a very good factual reputation, we decided that we would just collect these memories on -- on DVD. It had an overwhelming response, which turned into our second hour, "Twins and Sextuplets," one year later, which became "Jon & Kate Plus 8."
KING: What did Jon...
K. GOSSELIN: Did we ever think it would have this response?
KING: No.
K. GOSSELIN: Absolutely not.
KING: Why do you think it does?
K. GOSSELIN: Just because we're -- we're a family that is doing what every other family is doing, just with, you know, a handful of extra kids. It's -- it's family life. And, you know, I'm not willing to hide who I am. I -- it does not bother me that the cameras capture how I am. There's a couple episodes I wish I could send through the shredder. But other than that, you know, I don't mind it.
I'm -- I'm not going to hide who I am. And I'm willing to show that to people because nobody is perfect. And you'll never hear me say I'm perfect or even close to it.
KING: Do you control the editing?
K. GOSSELIN: We do not. That's why those episodes still air.
K. GOSSELIN: No, we do not. One -- you know, once it's filmed, it's in the can and -- and it's airable. If it's stuff that is -- I don't feel is appropriate, from the kid's standpoint to show, you know, about a certain child, I will be allowed to refute it. And the network is very happy to listen to that and change things.
But as far as myself, I don't know that I've ever asked that anything be changed about me, because I don't really care about me. I'm protecting the kids.
KING: Wow!
Thank you, Kate.
K. GOSSELIN: Absolutely.
Thank you.
KING: Kate Gosselin. The book, "Eight Little Faces
A Mom's Journey.".