How did Jon Gosselin and girlfriend Colleen Conrad meet? Turns out, the pair, who sparked split rumors in August 2021, have known each other since they were kids.

“I’ve known Colleen my whole life,” the Jon and Kate Plus 8 alum, 44, told OK! while attending WE tv’s Real Love: Relationship Reality TV’s Past, Present & Future panel. “We grew up three blocks from each other. Her sister used to babysit me.”

Fans first started speculating the couple called it quits on Sunday, August 8, when Colleen revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

While sharing her lengthy social media post, she thanked her friends and family for support, but there was no mention of Jon.

Did Jon Gosselin and Colleen Conrad Split?
Courtesy of Jon Gosselin/Instagram

“I was also lucky enough to have support through amazing friends and family but mostly my 2 kids Jesse and Jordan and my sister Debbie,” she shared after first learning about her diagnosis in April. “Even though my sister was 1200 miles away. She was always there supporting me. I have one last surgery in about 2 months but I feel good!!”

In the comments, fans sent well-wishes and asked for an update on her relationship. “Are [you] and Jon still in a relationship? [crying face emoji],” one user asked, while another commented, “I hope Jon was there for you as well! I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

That same day, Jon shared several photos of himself partying in Atlantic City, where he usually DJs for work. Jon and Colleen did not immediately respond to In Touch‘s request for comment.

Prior to rumblings of an uncoupling, Jon hinted at the possibility of marriage. “I’ve thought about it, yeah — talked about it,” the father of eight — who shares twins Mady and Cara and sextuplets Aaden, Collin, Hannah, Joel, Leah and Alexis with ex-wife Kate Gosselin — told OK! When asked about it further, however, he played coy. “Just look at my Instagram. That’s how stories get out anyway. I guess. It’s so funny.”

Collin and Hannah had also given their dad the stamp of approval. At the same event, Jon exclusively told In Touch, “They love her. She’s a great parent. She has two kids. They’re both in college. One is a freshman and the other a senior, graduating. Um, but they respect her as a mom, too. So it’s like, even though they have a mom,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, that’s my classic Jon and Kate eye roll.”

Jon’s daughter Hannah has been living with him since 2018. That same year, Jon was also granted temporary sole custody of his son, Collin — who had been in a treatment facility for children with special needs — when Kate didn’t show up to court, Us Weekly confirmed. As of April 2020, Jon told The Sun, “There is no custody battle — it’s done” because all of the sextuplets now have a “guardian ad litem” in place.

“If Hannah just said, ‘I’m going to go live with mom,’ there’s nothing that I could say. I could ask her why, but I can’t physically stop her,” the TLC alum explained. “There’s a guardian ad litem. She would technically just call the guardian ad litem, which is kind of like a child advocate attorney for the court, and say, ‘Hey, I’m going to go live with mom.'”

“Guardian would say, ‘Okay.’ And she would just report to the judge ‘Hannah’s going to live with mom’ and that’s it. And vice versa.”

Despite the ups and downs, Jon is hopeful he will have a good relationship with all of his children one day.

“I always have hope,” he shared to HollywoodLife. “I hope one day maybe they just knock on my door or maybe drop me a line or text me. Something like that.” He added, “I kind of just have to hold on to hope and not give up and let them know that I love them and I’m here no matter what. I’m not going to give up.”

Time will tell what the future holds for Jon and his kids … as well as Colleen.

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