Jon Gosselin and Stephanie Lebo on Keeping Their Romance Secret for Years (Exclu
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00:00 This has been a long-kept secret.
00:02 A long-kept secret.
00:03 Why did you keep the relationship under wraps?
00:05 So the real reason was we just wanted privacy.
00:08 All our friends and family knew we were together.
00:10 Our kids, all that stuff.
00:12 And we were never private parties?
00:14 No, we go out all the time.
00:16 But it never dawned on me.
00:19 We didn't want to make it public public.
00:21 Gotcha.
00:22 But what happened is I started traveling more and DJing.
00:25 LA, Miami, New York, all over the place.
00:28 And we would go together.
00:30 So instead of jumping the shark, we pretty much said,
00:32 you know, let's just organize something
00:34 and then we'll come out publicly.
00:36 Because it's going to keep on happening.
00:37 We're going to travel more and more together.
00:39 And there'll be more notoriety.
00:41 Right.
00:41 And I'm hearing that while you all were traveling
00:43 and the relationship was under wraps,
00:45 that, Stephanie, you were pretending to be Hannah's friend.
00:48 Yes.
00:49 In one occasion, I was.
00:51 Because we were there for her mostly.
00:52 But she wanted my support.
00:53 So it was easy enough to just say
00:56 I was an older college student.
00:57 He also respected my wishes.
00:59 Because it's a lot, obviously, like since we've been out,
01:01 it is a lot.
01:02 And I am thankful a lot of good things have been said.
01:04 But you know, it's good or bad.
01:06 But a lot of it was like it was a new thing.
01:10 We both had a lot of--
01:11 not a lot of relationships, but a lot of years
01:14 invested in people.
01:15 And I just didn't know where this would go.
01:17 And I respect him.
01:18 And I know he respected me.
01:19 So that's why we kind of just--
01:21 again, we were not private.
01:22 We'd kiss in public around here, anywhere we went.
01:24 But we were just cautious.
01:26 If I saw a camera, I just--
01:28 Yeah, especially in major cities, though.
01:30 Like, obviously, we live out here in the country
01:32 or suburbs or whatever.
01:33 And people are more conservative.
01:36 When we go to like Miami and New York, it's more business.
01:40 You know, paparazzi and the likelihood of that
01:44 is about to happen.
01:45 So we flew down to Miami for a shoot with Hannah.
01:50 So the first time, I walk right into the Mondrian
01:53 Hotel in South Beach.
01:55 And there is like paparazzi.
01:57 And I knew like half of those guys.
02:00 And they're like, oh, hey, John.
02:01 How are you?
02:02 And I'm like, uh, I'm good.
02:03 How did you feel in that moment, Stephanie?
02:05 Because he did tell them, like, you know, no pictures.
02:07 And you know, it's new.
02:10 We have children involved.
02:11 So-- and we're happy.
02:13 Like, if we have to behave a little bit in public,
02:15 we're going home together later.
02:16 So it's fine, you know?
02:18 But how has it been getting into this whole media madness?
02:21 And did anyone in particular warn you,
02:23 maybe you shouldn't get involved with John Gosling?
02:25 Well, my mom flew out of her recliner
02:27 when I said I was dating him.
02:28 No way.
02:30 Really?
02:31 Flying out of the recliner in a good way or a bad way?
02:33 I was like, OK, I finally--
02:35 I was like not dating anymore.
02:36 And I was like, I found somebody.
02:37 And I told her who it was.
02:39 But now, the greatest thing is that they talk--
02:42 she knows more about our relationship than I do.
02:44 Really?
02:45 So how did you win her mother over, John?
02:47 He talks to her every day.
02:48 I just treat her like a normal person.
02:51 What do you think it was--
02:53 I think we have the same personality.
02:54 We're both black and white.
02:55 So we just say how we feel and what's going on.
02:58 So we tend to just like get along on the same page.
03:02 And our outlook in life is pretty much the same.
03:06 So--
03:07 What do you think it was about Stephanie's mom
03:08 that had her be a little cautious, reluctant
03:11 about her daughter dating you?
03:12 I think of people that read tabloids and read into tabloids.
03:17 Obviously, I'm out there a lot.
03:20 And maybe talk to other people that may or may
03:23 not know too much about me.
03:25 I kind of keep to myself around here.
03:27 I mean, I have my close friends.
03:28 And we go out and stuff like that.
03:29 But I don't really have ancillary people
03:32 anymore in my life.
03:33 So take us back to that first day the two of you met.
03:36 How did you meet?
03:37 We met at a backyard barbecue from a mutual friend.
03:39 So who put the move on who first?
03:41 Stephanie, did you approach John?
03:42 John, did you approach Stephanie?
03:43 So do we say that I think I did message you first?
03:46 I think you did.
03:47 I actually probably pulled it up.
03:48 I thought he messaged me first.
03:49 Because I had a really cool candle.
03:50 And because we're friends with everything,
03:51 I thought you commented on my candle for my birthday.
03:54 But I don't know.
03:55 I think I reached out first.
03:56 And then we just started just chit-chatting.
03:58 And then I think it was like three or four days later,
04:00 he was like, I'm at B2 Bistro.
04:02 Would you like to come over and have a drink?
04:04 So I was in the gym, super fit.
04:07 Thanks for all this weight.
04:08 And I decided to just go over there sweaty, natural looking,
04:12 curly hair, no makeup.
04:13 And he adored me, I think.
04:16 Yeah, we really hit it off.
04:17 I mean, it's weird that you look at social media
04:21 and that we can have so many mutual friends, like thousands,
04:23 and never run into each other.
04:25 There was no interlying things or behind the scenes things.
04:27 Yeah, because it was supposed to be an hour.
04:30 Five hours?
04:30 I don't know.
04:31 We just hung.
04:32 Wow.
04:33 So from a backyard barbecue to exchanges on social media
04:36 to then you asking her out and y'all going out for drinks.
04:39 You might have been sweaty buddy from the gym,
04:41 but y'all hit it off.
04:42 Yeah, it was a great conversation.
04:44 I never stopped talking.
04:45 I mean, when you think about your significant other,
04:47 what do you love most about him?
04:49 What do you appreciate most about him?
04:52 That I actually have help for once.
04:54 And I'm not saying in past life I never had help.
04:57 It's just it's a lot more.
04:58 It's things that I never--
05:00 as a little girl, I have a great father
05:01 and he did all these things.
05:03 And he's fulfilling a lot of that.
05:05 I know that I'll be OK in life.
05:06 Like he literally-- and it feels rewarding
05:09 that I can tell them I will be OK in life.
05:11 He takes very well care of-- when he first
05:12 took care of me being sick, I think
05:13 that's when I really fell in love with him.
05:15 Was this during COVID?
05:16 Yeah.
05:17 Yeah.
05:18 But I love him because he's genuine.
05:19 He doesn't-- even if he's as tired as I am,
05:21 he pulls that extra mile and just does it.
05:25 And he doesn't make you feel bad about it.
05:27 And I know he loves it.
05:28 I don't nag. He don't nag.
05:29 We're good.
05:31 Yeah, we don't argue that much.
05:32 So what does life look like now cohabitating together?
05:36 And how are you working things out?
05:38 Who does what around the house?
05:40 What does a typical day look like between the two of you?
05:42 I take care of the outside.
05:45 But you do the inside, too.
05:46 You just had a feather duster out about 20 minutes
05:48 ago before they got here.
05:49 And he dusts.
05:50 No, he dusts.
05:52 With a cough.
05:53 And you love doing the landscaping as well.
05:55 I do.
05:55 That's always been my thing.
05:56 I'm letting him do that because I used to do
05:58 the landscaping myself, too.
06:00 Your help.
06:01 Go to 11.
06:02 No, I can't.
06:03 Would you come here?
06:04 Because.
06:05 Now, Stephanie, did you watch "John and Kate Plus 8"
06:07 back in the day?
06:08 What do you remember about the show?
06:11 Diapers.
06:12 Lots of diapers when you got eight.
06:14 A lot of babies running around.
06:16 But I love hearing that you feel like you had help.
06:19 You have helped, Stephanie.
06:21 Because some would say, I mean, maybe back in the day,
06:24 some of the episodes of "John and Kate Plus 8,"
06:26 you weren't necessarily the most helpful sometimes, John.
06:28 No.
06:29 I became disgruntled because it was just like, instead of asking,
06:32 it was ordering.
06:33 Being married and just constant, constant ordering,
06:36 I was just like, shut-- you shut down.
06:38 Yeah.
06:39 And help.
06:40 I ain't helping you.
06:41 I mean, I don't need to prove my point.
06:43 You can just go watch season after season of that.
06:46 So now the two of you, you've been in a relationship
06:49 for two years now?
06:51 Almost.
06:51 Almost two years.
06:52 Really close two years.
06:53 Oh my gosh.
06:54 Really close.
06:55 You got the birthday and the anniversary
06:57 close together, John.
06:58 Couple days.
06:58 It was September.
06:59 Like, I don't know.
07:00 It was not-- we met at that barbecue at the end of August.
07:03 OK.
07:04 Yeah.
07:05 And then y'all made it official not too long after?
07:07 I don't know.
07:08 Yeah, a couple weeks.
07:09 Yeah.
07:10 Yeah.
07:10 You move fast, John Gosling.
07:12 I think I did too.
07:13 Yeah, I think so.
07:14 I think everything just clicked.
07:15 Keep playing that one on him.
07:16 Are y'all interested in expanding your families
07:18 and having more children?
07:19 Physically cannot expand the family.
07:21 No.
07:21 Well, they're--
07:22 Physically not going to expand the family.
07:23 My whole demeanor just changed.
07:23 No.
07:24 No?
07:24 No.
07:25 When are we walking down the aisle?
07:26 When are you inviting ET to the wedding?
07:28 Next question.
07:28 No, but I saw on Instagram--
07:30 you're not engaged.
07:31 That wasn't an engagement.
07:32 No, we're not engaged.
07:33 Is this forever?
07:35 I hope so.
07:35 It better be.
07:36 I'm not moving anything out of this house.
07:37 I don't want to move.
07:38 I'm not moving.
07:39 I already told him, the house is so large.
07:41 We have a fully finished basement downstairs with a bar.
07:44 You can just live downstairs.
07:45 I'm staying upstairs.
07:47 I'm not lifting a box.
07:48 Getting too old.
07:49 Not one box.
07:50 I don't want to see packing tape or bubble paper ever.
07:52 Ever again.
07:53 Unless we buy another house for just a second house,
07:55 that's fine.
07:56 We'll just put new stuff in that.
07:57 We're not moving for a while.
08:00 Better make it work, though.
08:01 There you go.
08:02 Why is it on me?
08:03 I don't know.
08:03 [LAUGHTER]
08:05 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:08 (upbeat music)
08:11 (upbeat music)