Jon Gosselin: "Epiphany" Led Me to Stop Show - Us Weekly

In an interview with CNN's Larry King Thursday, Jon Gosselin said he regrets putting his eight children in front of the camera.

"I had an epiphany," he said. "I just looked in the mirror, and I said, 'I don't want to be this person anymore.' I made mistakes. I know I messed up. I do regret a lot of things. But I have to learn from those mistakes and move forward."

That's why he said he announced Thursday that he wants his kids off the show.

"The reason I don't think it's healthy for them is that we're going through a divorce right now, and I don't think it should be televised, and I think my kids should be taken off the show," Jon, 32, explained. "They're 5 [Hannah, Leah, Alexis, Joel, Aaden and Collin] and 8 [Cara and Mady] now; let them experience a normal childhood."

Jon's lawyer Mark Heller insisted Jon didn't just decide this on Tuesday — the same day TLC announced it was dropping him from the show and renaming it Kate Plus 8.

Heller claimed that Jon was planning to go on the show and announce he wanted to quit and that he didn't want his children to be filmed. When TLC learned this, the network terminated his contract.

But TLC denies that Jon ever said he wanted to quit. Kate's lawyer Mark Momjian (who appeared via satellite) echoed that sentiment.

"Just last week, September 25th, he was taping with the children," said Momjian. "All of a sudden, he has an epiphany. Maybe he'll have another or new epiphany tomorrow. Or maybe he will have another epiphany the following week."

Nevertheless, Jon's lawyer Heller predicted the show — which has been suspended — is over because no judge would ever "subject the children to the show if the father believes it's detrimental."

Jon — who last spoke to Kate 3 1/2 weeks ago — said she wants to keep the show going "for financial reasons." (Last year, Jon claimed they made $1 million before taxes, $500,000 after, from the series.)

He also said he was putting the brakes on his divorce.

"I want to work things out," but that doesn't mean get back together with Kate, he explained. "We know we're not going to be husband and wife, but we will always be mom and dad. … I want Kate and I to mediate. I want us to become friends. I want us to figure out our marriage and I don't want it to be filmed anymore. And I don't want the kids involved."

Momjian, Kate attorney, said that the divorce would not be delayed. "It's going to go forward," he said.

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