Divorce, Gosselin style, for 'Jon & Kate'

Viewers have questioned who, if anyone, Jon and Kate Gosselin are taking cues from in their very public marital battle.

In May, Kate defended her husband against rumors that he had been cheating on her and stepping out while she stayed home with their twins and sextuplets.

Weeks later they used their enormously popular TLC reality show, "Jon & Kate Plus 8", to admit what fans had begun to suspect: Their marriage was on the rocks.

Soon they announced that they were divorcing, but would continue filming -- albeit separately -- their series, which for four seasons had chronicled the highs and lows of their family life.

It all appeared to be relatively civil until Jon began stepping out with his new girlfriend, moved to a bachelor pad in New York and appeared to be living the high life with shopping sprees and designer duds.

Jon took to the airwaves to reveal that he "despised Kate." Kate lamented that she missed "the Jon I knew."

TLC announced in October that the reality show would continue as "Kate Plus 8" and Jon immediately called a halt to filming, claiming the series was doing damage to their children.

Within days, Kate accused Jon of making off with more than $200,000 from their joint bank account. A judge ordered him to return $180,000 to the account. 

Through it all, both have maintained they each have the best interests of their children at heart. Child psychologist Joanne Pedro-Carroll said the Gosselins are in a precarious position.

"It's very concerning, especially given how public this is and the children's young ages, which makes them especially vulnerable," Pedro-Carroll said. "One of the things we know with really young children is that they are prone to misconceptions about the reasons for the breakup."

While Jon and Kate haven't so far added a bitter custody dispute to their matrimonial melee, Pedro-Carroll said she worries about the long-term effect on the young Gosselins.

"Sadly, the things that are happening now, with all of this conflict and having it be so public, puts these children very much at risk for having problems," said Pedro-Carroll, author of the forthcoming book "Putting Children First: Proven Parenting Strategies for Helping Children Thrive After Divorce." "I worry about the children being pulled into loyalty conflicts, thinking about who the good person here is and who's the bad person, when children very much need two loving, responsible parents in their lives."

Kessler said he advises his celebrity clients to, when possible, keep the children out of the media and receive training in cooperative parenting.

Lisa Pecot-Hebert, an assistant professor at the College of Communication at DePaul University, said she believes many viewers can relate to the Gosselins' divorce drama.

Fans can also view the family's situation as a cautionary tale, she said.

"I think viewers can learn that sometimes when people let cameras into their personal lives for our entertainment, oftentimes it ruins what was theirs to begin with," Pecot-Hebert said.

(Edit:Ruby)