Meet the twins and sextuplets
Introducing the Gosselin family! Jon and Kate Gosselin became parents to eight children, including twins Madelyn and Cara, and sextuplets Aaden, Collin, Joel, Leah, Hannah, and Alexis, before their divorce in 2009. Following a lengthy custody battle, Jon expressed his joy when his youngest children reached adulthood. The couple featured in their reality show, “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” which documented their lives with their children. Jon has been living with his daughter Hannah and son Collin since 2018, while he is estranged from the rest of his kids due to Kate’s alleged “parental alienation.” Below, we break down the Gosselin family members.
Cara Nicole Gosselin is the eldest child of the couple. She was born in October 2000, before her fraternal twin sister, Madelyn. Both sisters attended colleges in New York City, and they starred in their family’s TLC show from 2007 to 2017. In 2019, they appeared on “Kate Plus Date.” Madelyn, also known as Mady, had an outspoken reputation on the show. In a 2014 People interview, she dispelled the notion that her family was messed up, stating that they were not. Cara noted that the public expected them to be damaged.
Alexis Faith Gosselin is the oldest of the sextuplets and the first infant to arrive via C-section. Kate gave birth to six premature babies in May 2004, and all of them were placed on ventilators before going home, according to their reality show. Alexis and her brother Collin left the private school they attended with their siblings in 2010 and studied with private tutors amid expulsion rumors. In 2026, Alexis revealed that her dream job was to live on a ranch, studying bugs.
Hannah Joy Gosselin is the second sextuplet born and the first to move out and live with her dad. She graduated from high school in 2023 and launched a makeup line named Gosselin Girl Beauty the previous year. Her plan is to study business in college. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, she explained that growing up in a busy household with lots of kids made it challenging to have a one-on-one relationship with her parent. She felt that her dad gave her that attention.
Aaden Jonathan Gosselin arrived third and was the only sextuplet to wear glasses. He was the last of his siblings to get his braces off.
Collin Thomas Gosselin was born fourth of the sextuplets, and Kate enrolled him in a program away from home to treat his special needs and behavioral issues in 2016. In 2018, Jon obtained custody of him, and he left the facility. Collin thanked his dad for teaching him how to run into hard times and move past them during his graduation ceremony in 2023. He also shared his plan to join the Marines.
Leah Hope Gosselin is the youngest Gosselin daughter. She was the last to arrive in 2004 and has rarely been seen in public since her family’s show concluded in 2017. Leah has made occasional appearances on her mom’s Instagram.
Joel Kevin Gosselin is the youngest child of Jon and Kate. When he turned 15 in 2019, Kate called him and his siblings “good, wholesome, loving, insightful, and wise humans” via Instagram. He got his braces removed the same year.
Meet the Gosselin gang!
Kate Gosselin and Jon Gosselin welcomed eight children — twins Madelyn and Cara and sextuplets Aaden, Collin, Joel, Leah, Hannah and Alexis — before their 2009 divorce.
After a lengthy custody battle, Jon said he was in “a pretty euphoric place” when his youngest children entered adulthood.
“I can get on with my life,” the DJ gushed to the US Sun in March 2023. “It’s such a good feeling. I don’t even think it’s sunk in yet because I’ve been going to court for so long.”
While Jon has lived with daughter Hannah and son Collin since 2018, he is estranged from the rest of his kids — and blames Kate’s alleged “parental alienation.”
Below, TheFantasyTimes is breaking down the many family members in Jon and Kate’s big brood.
Cara Nicole Gosselin
Kate gave birth to Cara before her fraternal twin sister, Madelyn, in October 2000.
The siblings starred on their family’s TLC show from 2007 to 2017, later appearing on “Kate Plus Date” in 2019.
Cara and Madelyn, whose nickname is Mady, both attend colleges in New York City. The latter joked about going to separate schools via TikTok in 2021, quipping, “She has Amazon Prime and I edit her photos fair trade.”
Madelyn Kate Gosselin
Mady, who had an outspoken reputation on “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” set the record straight on how the show affected her family in a 2014 People interview.
“People think we’re supposed to be messed up, like, ‘Oooooh, the poor Gosselin kids, they’re going to be scarred for life, waaaaah,’” she told the magazine at the time. “Here’s the big news: We’re not messed up.”
Cara noted that the public expects them “to be damaged.”
Alexis Faith Gosselin
Kate gave birth to six premature babies in May 2004. The little ones, born 10 weeks early, were all placed on ventilators before heading home, according to their reality show.
Alexis was the first infant to arrive via C-section. She and brother Collin left the private school they attended with all their siblings in 2010, studying with private tutors instead amid expulsion rumors.
Three years later, Alexis told People that her dream job was to live on a ranch studying bugs.
Hannah Joy Gosselin
Hannah, the second sextuplet born, moved out of her mom’s house and in with her dad in 2018.
“It’s a lot, growing up in a very busy household with lots of kids,” she explained to Entertainment Tonight four years later. “There’s not really a one-on-one relationship … with your parent. I felt like my dad gave me that attention.”
Hannah, who graduated from high school in 2023, launched a makeup line named Gosselin Girl Beauty the previous year. She plans to study business in college.
Aaden Jonathan Gosselin
Two years after Aaden arrived third, the toddler began wearing glasses.
Aaden was the last of his siblings to get his braces off, which Kate celebrated via Instagram in 2020.
“Braces are a thing of the past in this house! FINALLY!” the “Dancing With the Stars” alum gushed at the time.
Collin Thomas Gosselin
Collin was born fourth of the sextuplets and got his middle name from Jon’s dad. As for his first name, Mady requested the moniker before he joined the family.
Six years after Collin left private school in 2010, news broke that Kate had enrolled him in a program away from home to treat his “special needs” and behavioral issues.
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Collin spoke to Entertainment Tonight about the experience in November 2022, telling the outlet he felt “hopeless” when institutionalized.
“I was in a dark place mentally,” the teenager said. “I think being in a place like that does more damage than it helps you.”
Jon helped him leave the facility in 2018 when he obtained custody.
Collin thanked his dad in a June 2023 Instagram post celebrating his graduation, gushing, “[He] has taught me so much about running into hard times and moving past them, about resilience.”
Leah Hope Gosselin
Leah was the last Gosselin girl to arrive in 2004.
While she has rarely been seen in the public eye since her family’s show wrapped in 2017, Leah has made occasional appearances on her mom’s Instagram.
“I told Leah that she’s too small to turn 14. She said ‘Yeah, true. Are you sure I’m not turning 11 or 12?’ 😂😂,” Kate captioned a 2018 snap. “I’m positive. I gave birth to [her].”
Joel Kevin Gosselin
Joel is the youngest of Jon and Kate’s children.
When the then-teen celebrated his 15th birthday in 2019, Kate called him and his siblings “good, wholesome, loving, insightful, wise humans” via Instagram.
Joel got his braces removed later that same year.
