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Jon Gosselin Says He’s Not Working At TGI Fridays For The Money

By Victoria Miller
Published on: 21:49 PST, Jul 20, 2016

Jon Gosselin has taken a job as a prep cook at a TGI Fridays in Pennsylvania, but the former TLC reality star says he isn’t doing it for the paycheck. TMZ reported that Gosselin, who used to star on the TLC reality show Jon and Kate Plus 8 with his family, has been working at a Fridays in Lancaster for the past month. But in a new interview with Us Weekly, Jon says he’s only doing it as a hobby.

“I work at TGI Fridays eight hours a week and give my paycheck to charity. I love cooking, what’s wrong with that?”

Jon, who has been vocal about his financial disputes with his ex-wife, Kate, went on to say that he doesn’t need the paycheck for the restaurant chain because he makes his real living with his DJ business.

“I don’t need the money, “Gosselin said. “DJ-ing is still my real job.”

Jon Gosselin says he is good friends with the general manager of the restaurant and that he was approached about the part-time job. Jon also DJs at local TGI Fridays’ events, and the dad of eight says he does it all just to keep himself busy.

“It was just a hobby,” Jon said of starting work at the restaurant chain.”I don’t like sitting around.”

Jon’s new boss also told Us that the former reality star does a “great job” as a prep cook and that he “donates his paycheck every week.”

Not surprisingly, Jon Gosselin’s ex-wife, Kate, and their eight kids Mady, Cara, Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Leah and Joel have not stopped by the restaurant chain since he started working there.

This is not the first time Jon Gosselin has taken a job at a restaurant. In 2013, Jon told Entertainment Tonight he was working as a waiter at Black Dog restaurant in Beckersville, Pennsylvania. At the time, Gosselin also said the job was “fun” and that he didn’t take the job because he was struggling to make ends meet.

“At first, I was nervous because I was like, ‘How are people going to react?'” Jon said of taking the job as a waiter. “But then I’m thinking, ‘Well it’s fun and I get to talk to people.’ And they technically already know me… they’re like ‘Are you the guy?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m the guy.'”

Jon also slammed rumors that he was broke, saying it’s “really disgusting to think that because you wait tables… or don’t have an 8 to 5 job that you’re [not] making ends meet.”

At the time, Jon Gosselin was reportedly living in a cabin in the woods with no TV or internet, while his ex-wife and kids lived in a $1.3 million home nearby.

While Jon is now working for charity, his actual DJ job pays the bills. In a recent interview with Yahoo Celebrity, Jon revealed that he makes “good money” with his local DJ residencies.

“I have my residencies, which pay my bills,” Jon told Yahoo. “I get good money … It’s the longest job I’ve had after the divorce, and it’s all mine. I own it. I don’t have a boss. It’s me. I’m the boss.”

Since his 2009 divorce from Kate, Jon also worked installing solar panels and as an IT consultant.

“I still do IT work. I do part-time IT work over the phone,” Gosselin said.

While he gives his TGI Fridays check to charity, Jon Gosselin has slammed previous claims that he has never paid child support to Kate. In the Yahoo interview, Jon said explained that he made a deal with Kate to just “walk away” from their house and reality TV fortune in lieu of a child support agreement.

“I gave her $3 million,” Gosselin said. “I walked away. I moved. [I said], ‘Take all of it.’ It was a moral sacrifice for my children.”

Jon’s ex-wife Kate Gosselin has not commented on his new job as a prep cook, but she has been keeping herself busy with her reality TV career on Kate Plus 8. Kate and her two oldest daughters, Mady and Cara Gosselin, recently appeared at TLC’s Summer Block Party in Chicago.

Take a look at the video below to see Jon Gosselin talking about why he quit his TLC reality show.

[Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images]

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