Jon Gosselin Says His Girlfriend Talks to His Ex-Wife Kate and Estranged Kids Despite Him Not Communicating with Them

Jon Gosselin is giving an update on where he stands with ex-wife Kate Gosselin and their eight children.

The Jon & Kate Plus 8 alum, 47, shared on the Dom Nati Show that he has not spoken to Kate since 2018 but his girlfriend Stephanie Lebo has talked with her and their children including sextuplets, Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Leah and Joel as well as twins, Mady and Cara. 

“She’s completely integrated in my kids’ lives,” Jon revealed. “So the kids that live with me now are Hannah and Collin. Hannah just went to visit her siblings. I know that Steph has talked to Kate, and I know Steph has talked to my other kids, just like through FaceTime, through Hannah’s phone and stuff.”

“Everything seems copacetic,” he added. “My other kids haven’t talked to me, though, so maybe it’s just easier to talk to someone that’s with me, but not me.” 

He noted that he considers himself to be “a pretty open person” but realizes his children may be more comfortable talking to Lebo.

“I just feel that maybe under the scrutiny of everything that transpired, that it might just be easier for them to talk to a third party individual that’s totally integrated into my life,” he shared.

When asked if Lebo and Kate speak often, he clarified, “I think they just said hi or something like that, just to be like, ‘Hey.’ I think Kate and Steph just wanted [to say] ‘Hey, I’m with your daughter’ [or] ‘Hey, you’re with my daughter.’”

The former reality star shared that his ex-wife views him and Lebo as “a long term relationship,” suggesting, “So maybe she just wanted to know the woman that’s influencing her child, or children…Maybe she’s just concerned, but it happened.” 

He added his estranged children have talked with Lebo “once or twice,” adding, “It’s not like a full on conversation, more of an introduction. 

Kate did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Jon also shares that he plans to pop the question to Lebo by Thanksgiving.

When asked if he had a plan for the proposal, he responded, “I do. It’s a surprise. All her friends keep asking me. She kind of hints at it and stuff like that. But I just want to kind of make it intimate and private, and then I’ll make it public.”

Jon also shared that he expects that all eight of his children will be invited to the wedding. 

“I don’t see why they wouldn’t get an invite,” he shared. “Whether they come or not, that’s going to be up to them, since they’re adults now, and they can make their own adult decisions.”

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In April, Jon told PEOPLE that he planned to propose to his girlfriend within a year.

“I’m with my girl, she really supports me,” he said, explaining how his partner has been there for his career milestones. “But she doesn’t really want to be in the public eye so she doesn’t come to red carpet events and those kinds of things.”

“It’s different,” Gosselin noted of her desire for privacy. “She understands my career and where I want to be, and she just wants to just be with me and have her career as well.”

When asked if he believed the couple would go a distance, the former reality star said that she is “the one” and he plans to “without a doubt” propose in the year.