Jon Gosselin and Hailey Are Cool, But He's a Hard Pass on Watching 'RHONY'

Jon Gosselin sure as hell isn't tuning into the upcoming season of "The Real Housewives of New York City" ... but it's not for the reason most might assume.

A source close to Jon tells TMZ … the reality star is a hard pass on watching 'RHONY' … but it has nothing to do with his ex, Hailey Glassman, joining the Bravo series.

Our source says ... Jon's a guy from rural Pennsylvania … and they don’t watch "The Housewives," they watch sports. So, it's nothing personal -- there's just zero interest.

Now, we hear it's likely his wife, Stephanie, will watch ... because she and Hailey are pals. Actually, Jon and Hailey are also cool now after a publicized ugly split -- and they even chat on occasion.

As for Hailey's current controversy with podcaster Claudia Oshry ... a source close to HG tells us she expected to have a target painted on her back once cast on the Bravo series -- and she's sure Claudia is just trying to steal some of her spotlight with bullying claims.

In case you missed it... Claudia posted a viral video after the RHONY announcement that showed Hailey had been sending her shady messages for years on Instagram bashing her appearance and provided the receipts.