Alec Baldwin signed on for reality show with his family amid 'Rust' involuntary manslaughter trial and potential 18-month prison stint
Jon Gosselin offers Alec Baldwin advice on new reality TV career
Former reality star Jon Gosselin told Fox News Digital that Oscar-winner Alec Baldwin should think twice about putting his family on television.
Jon Gosselin knows a thing or two about reality television.
Gosselin, 47, found fame nearly 15 years ago as one of the stars of TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8," which focused on his uniquely large family, complete with one set of sextuplets and another set of twins.
Earlier this month, Alec Baldwin announced his own brood was diving into the reality realm with their own TLC show premiering in 2025, tentatively coined, "The Baldwins."
As one of the patriarchs of reality TV, Gosselin exclusively told Fox News Digital that he "doesn't think it's a good idea" for Baldwin to risk his fame, fortune or family all in the name of ratings.
ALEC BALDWIN TURNS TO REALITY TV AMID CRIMINAL TRIAL, MOUNTING LEGAL EXPENSES
Jon Gosselin offered Alec Baldwin a few words of advice about the actor's venture into reality television. (Getty Images)
"My advice to Alec is to run the other way," Gosselin said. "Enjoy your career and your family. And, enjoy your life with your kids. We're all not getting any younger."
"Jon & Kate Plus 8″ aired on TLC from 2007 until 2009, when the former couple divorced. One year later, the show was rebranded into "Kate Plus 8," which ran until 2017.
"I was always worried about jumping the shark, which meant, 'OK, you're filming this reality show, and then you do something different outside in the public, and now there's conflict,'" Gosselin said.
"My advice to Alec is to run the other way. Enjoy your career and your family. And, enjoy your life with your kids. We're all not getting any younger."
— Jon Gosselin
"Now you're going to bring drama because photographers are going to show up because they're going to try to catch you in that act. Why would you invite drama into your household when all you've been trying to do is live, you know, a private life, and then you're a paid actor."
He added, "I don't think it's a good idea to put your family on television, especially your children. You're a successful actor. You're already scrutinized for certain things, and now you're going to put seven children into the public eye. So pretty much you've already created this, this massive amount of wealth to protect your family, and now you want to make them public as well? It makes no sense."
Alec Baldwin has seven children with wife Hilaria Baldwin, and daughter Ireland Baldwin with ex-wife Kim Bassinger. (Jason Mendez)
When Jon and his ex-wife first signed on to star in their own reality show, the Gosselins' decision was made as a necessity to support their family while Kate worked 12-hour shifts as a nurse, and Jon in IT.
"I don't think it's a good idea to put your family on television, especially your children. You're a successful actor. You're already scrutinized for certain things, and now you're going to put seven children into the public eye."
— Jon Gosselin
"I think we were relatable because we're both working. We have a lot of kids, and how do we manage that? I mean, that was the premise of the show," Gosselin said. "Where you have a very wealthy actor, or a married couple, and now you have seven children. Well, yeah. You can afford it. Why are you going to put children that you've been protecting from the public with your wealth, and now you're going to make them famous? You've got to remember, you can't quit being famous."
WATCH: Jon Gosselin says Alec Baldwin’s decision to star on reality TV show isn’t a ‘good idea’
Gosselin noted that the children Baldwin shares with wife Hilaria, who are all under the age of 10, didn't have a decision about appearing on the show.
"I didn't ask my kids when they were 15 months old if they wanted to do it. We were kind of just backed into a corner financially, and the world was a different place then," he said.
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"Now, you know the outcome of reality TV, good and bad, branding or not branding. And… it just doesn't make sense to me. Plus scrutinization. I mean, you're already going through a debacle right now legally. And why, why would you bring that into your household? It makes no sense. You have enough money to just go hang out on an island somewhere. You know what I mean? Read scripts. Find a new movie. Do whatever."
Jon and Kate Gosselin share eight children together. They divorced in 2009. (Amy Sussman/WireImage for Discovery Communications)
Jon said that Baldwin isn't "reinventing the wheel" when it comes to reality television, so there's no reason to begin now. "You're just going to incur costs and stress, and, why don't you just live your life and be wealthy and go get a boat or something like that, document stuff on Instagram?"
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While the inside look into Baldwin's life at home won't premiere for another year, it remains to be seen if cameras will be rolling when the award-winning actor goes on trial next month for involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 fatal shooting of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Alec Baldwin heads to court in July for involuntary manslaughter trial stemming from 2021 "Rust" shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. (Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department)
Gosselin turned his love for music into a focal point of his life and he became a DJ who performs at major events around the country. (Jon Gosselin)
Gosselin, who's now touring the country as a successful DJ, spent years trying to put the mental and physical stress of being on reality television in the past. With love in his life and imminent plans to propose to girlfriend Stephanie, Jon's been focused on reclaiming his health as of late.
WATCH: Jon Gosselin offers Alec Baldwin advice on new reality TV career
"Physically, I was a slob, and I didn't care, and I hid from the public and ate," Gosselin said. "I never went to the gym, and I never really cared about my physical appearance. Now it's, you know, I changed my life around and totally changed my life with working out and diet and exercise and working with Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center."
"You're just going to incur costs and stress, and, why don't you just live your life and be wealthy and go get a boat or something like that, document stuff on Instagram?"
— Jon Gosselin
Jon Gosselin has big plans in the future with his girlfriend Stephanie. (Jon Gosselin)
Earlier this year, Gosselin revealed he lost 32 pounds in two months after he began taking the weight-loss drug semaglutide, the generic form of Ozempic.
"You know what’s annoying? The regret of not starting it 10 years ago," Gosselin told Page Six. "I feel amazing! Like, why didn’t I do this sooner? Maybe it wasn’t the right time."
He added, "It’s really nice because it helped me stop drinking, and it helped me get my appetite under control with less eating. I was able to really refocus my diet that way," he explained. "I just focused on consuming what I need to consume in a healthy manner."
Tracy Wright is an entertainment reporter for Fox News Digital. Send story tips to
