Jon Gosselin’s “morals” are in question

in Miscellaneous TV by negrostotle — October 19, 2009 at 2:01 pm | 0 comments

(photo via INFPhoto.com)

If you’ve been following the debacle that is now TLC’s Jon & Kate Plus 8…you need to find a hobby.

I kid!

As you already know, the status of the show is up in the air, the status of Jon & Kate’s marriage is up in the air…all that we really know is that the kids are still going to school.

And that TLC has decided to sue Jon Gosselin.

Discovery Talent Services, which secures the services of individuals who appear on Discovery shows like TLC, has filed its lawsuit in Maryland Circuit Court.

According to the complaint, Gosselin signed a new deal in 2008 for “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ that provided his services and his family’s services in taping and promoting the program exclusively. The deal promised he wouldn’t do anything inappropriate that offended “social conventions or public morals or decency” or bring TLC into “public disrepute, contempt, scandal or ridicule.” It also obligated him to maintain confidentiality of business or operational information concerning the show, and stipulated he would not endorse products or services competitive to the program.

The plaintiff cites various breaches of this contract, including photographs and stories of Gosselin intoxicated and in the company of women other than his wife, Gosselin selling his services to other media outlets including a “lucrative arrangement” to appear on “Entertainment Tonight,” and Gosselin issuing his own press releases about the show. (via THR, Esq.)

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Although we usually hear about morals clauses in athlete contracts (i.e. Michael Jordan can’t wear Reebok, or dilute Nike’s brand, etc.) it makes perfectly good sense that they exist, in a much, leaner fashion, in television contracts.

Only time will tell what will happen with the lawsuit, but it looks like Discovery Talent may have a fairly strong case, with Jon’s recent talk about his own T.V. show, and his various trysts, among other things.

The complaint can be found here.

Tags: Discovery Talent Services Jon & Kate Plus 8 Jon Gosselin morals clause