Embattled reality star
Jon Gosselin admits he got "carried away by the challenges of fame" and is consulting with a rabbi to "reconnect with my deeper, more spiritual, more altruistic self."
In a statement, the 32-year-old father of eight (who has said he's
"half Jewish and half Korean") tells
Usmagazine.com:
"I am troubled to learn that the media has accepted as true the scurrilous rumor that I would appear in a
reality television program with Nadya Suleman. This is utterly false.
"I do, however, accept that some of my previous actions have in some way lent credence to such outrageous stories.
"I am well aware that my behavior over the past few months has not always reflected my personal and religious values. I further accept that I have allowed myself to become somewhat severed from my own moral anchor and be carried away by the challenges of fame.
"It is for this reason that I have endeavored of late to reconnect with my deeper, more spiritual, more altruistic self with regular study sessions and counseling with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, whose morality-centered-and-values-based advice, coupled with his profound commitment to fatherhood and family, I deeply respect.
"I have always endeavored to be a loving father and a devoted parent who serves as a moral exemplar to his eight children. That’s what my father, a children’s dentist who always extended himself to his poorest patients, was to me.
"My father was my inspiration and moral compass. I intend to serve the same role for my own children by taking responsibility for my errors and making right any pain I have caused to those I love.
"I have therefore agreed to a forum at New York’s West Side Synagogue this Sunday where I intend to publicly apologize in a sacred space to those whom I have hurt.
"I wish for the public to know my regret at having, at times, betrayed the moral principles that have always guided me.
"This forum will also allow me to illustrate the further steps I am determined to take to regain the trust and confidence of loved ones as well as the public who have watched me over the years, together with Kate, raise our eight beautiful children. I could tell you that these steps are absolutely sincere and not intended for public consumption.
"But I know that ultimately I will be judged not by my words but my actions. More than anything else, Rabbi Shmuley, as someone who has counseled others in similar circumstances, has impressed upon me the moral obligations inherent in celebrity and I understand that if a spotlight is shined on me, especially as a father of a large family, that I have to inspire others to do the right thing always.
"It is my sincere desire to use the fame I have so unexpectedly acquired to highlight mature, responsible behavior as well as the joys of fatherhood and family. I ask the public to please understand the challenges I face in living under constant public scrutiny, even as I am aware that I have at times courted that scrutiny.
"I am committed to making things right with Kate and especially my children. I ask you to please give me the opportunity to prove myself."
News – Jon Gosselin Consulting With Rabbi to Find "More Spiritual" Self – Celebrity News – UsMagazine.com
Jon Gosselin's spiritual manifesto
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