Jon & Kate

It will be interesting if the judge lets Jon's lawyer, Mark Heller, on the call -- he's not licensed to practice in PA.

Stay tuned...

Kate Gosselin has filed legal papers in a Pennsylvania court this morning to force her estranged hubby Jon Gosselin to return the $230,000 he took out of their joint bank account ... and to have him cited for contempt for good measure.

Kate claims Jon raided their joint account, leaving her with only $1,000.

Kate's lawyer, Mark Momjian, tells TMZ he filed the papers this morning and noted to the judge that Jon allegedly violated an order prohibiting him from taking anything out of the account without Kate's sign-off.

Momjian claims Jon and his lawyer, Mark Heller, have harassed Kate with frivolous legal maneuvers and wants the judge to nail her estranged hubby with financial sanctions.

And there's this ... Heller, who is not a member of the Pennsylvania bar, is asking the judge for special permission to rep Jon in this case. Momjian says he filed papers opposing that move, on grounds Heller effectively lied to the court by failing to mention -- as he's required to do -- that he was suspended by the New York bar for a variety of misdeeds. Oops.

The judge has been asked to make a ruling, stat.

The father of eight showed off his latest additions at the unveiling of his signature milkshake at Millions of Milkshakes in West Hollywood on Saturday.

The Gosselin shake does not include benzoyl peroxide or Accutane.

Kate came out swinging on "Today" this morning, slamming Jon for clearing $230,000 out of the couple's joint bank account: "You've left your children and their mother unable to pay for the roof over their head. It's unacceptable."

As for Jon's claim the children don't want to do the show anymore, Kate says there was "wailing and sobbing" when she broke the news to 'em that filming has halted.

As TMZ previously reported, Kate's lawyers are going to court today to demand the return of the cash and a contempt citation against Jon. Stay tuned ...

Legal pit bull Marty Singer wrote the letter this past Friday. TMZ obtained a copy. In it, Singer expresses outrage that Jon secretly raided Jon and Kate's money market account "of hundreds of thousands of dollars," leaving only about $1,000. Singer says the withdrawal is not only "outrageous," it directly violates the Arbitration Award in the divorce which requires both parties to agree before any money is withdrawn.

Singer -- who says the withdrawal of funds is fraudulent and contemptible -- claims both Jon and his lawyer, Mark Heller, are hypocrites, after they went on Larry King's show and claimed family values (not money) was the important thing.

Singer says Heller has done this before, citing a New York Supreme Court decision which says Heller directed one of his clients in a divorce to "withdraw everything that's in the bank" so the money could be used to pay his fee.

And then there's this ... Singer blasts Heller, noting that the New York Supreme Court "addressed charges that you violated 'thirty-eight counts alleging multiple violations of the disciplinary rules,' and charges that you 'had engaged in a pattern of misconduct involving misrepresentations, deceit, abusive treatment of clients, fee gouging, neglect and willful failure to return unearned retainers to his clients' in matters which involved your 'mishandling of the matters of twelve separate clients.'" The letter goes on to claim Heller admitted to engaging in "professional misconduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation."

As we first reported, Kate's lawyers are going to court tomorrow, demanding that the monies be returned to the account and asking for a contempt citation.

We called Heller but he was not available for comment.

Kate Gosselin is drawing the big gun -- we've learned she's hired legal pit bull Marty Singer to go after Jon Gosselin ... asking a judge to hold him in contempt of court for raiding their joint bank account to the tune of more than $200,000.

We've learned there is an existing court order prohibiting Jon or Kate from withdrawing any money from the account without the consent of both parties.

We've learned lawyers for Kate will go to Pennsylvania court tomorrow and argue that Jon has flagrantly violated that order, that he should be forced to return the money to the account and held in contempt.

Ironically, Jon suggested on "Larry King" he wanted to save the marriage -- at the same time he emptied the account.

Jon Gosselin has allegedly withdrawn nearly all of the money out of a joint bank account he shares with Kate Gosselin -- leaving her with just $1,000, according to various reports.

The account set up for the kids was allegedly untouched.

LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME I WONDER WHERE THE KIDS ARE LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME!!!!!!!!!!!

The only possible explanation for the first sign ... one of the kids made it.

As TMZ previously reported, Jon wants the kids off the show permanently, so goodbye paycheck.

Hope hosting those Vegas pool parties pays bank.

Kate just released the following statement:

"It appears that Jon's priority is Jon and his interests ... I'm saddened and confused by Jon's public media statements. Jon has never expressed any concerns to me about our children being involved in the show and, in fact, is on the record as saying he believes the show benefits our children."

As TMZ previously reported, production has been suspended on "Kate Plus 8" while Jon and the network hash out a deal.

Sources connected with the production of "Jon & Kate Plus 8" "Kate Plus 8" tell TMZ all the hoo-hah has to do with $$$.

Sources on both sides tell us Jon Gosselin has been asking for his exit papers from the show for several months. Production sources say they were willing to continue giving Jon a full paycheck and not put him on the show, but there was one string attached -- that he couldn't do any other show without the permission of TLC. BTW, that's a standard condition in TV-land.

Production sources say Jon's lawyer was demanding that TLC let Jon do any show he wanted but TLC wouldn't budge. Production sources say Jon's lawyer then threatened to shut down production by claiming the show wasn't good for the kids, and that's just what happened.

But sources connected with Jon tell us Jon had been complaining for months about his kids being on the show and that the kids themselves were complaining. These sources say Jon was blindsided when TLC released a statement that the show would be called "Kate Plus 8" and that the result would be that the kids would have to be on camera a lot more.

Production sources say no way would the kids be on the camera more because it's just "Kate Plus 8."

TLC has come out swinging, calling Jon Gosselin's antics "opportunistic." Ya think so?

Gosselin has found God after getting dumped from "Jon & Kate Plus 8" and is now demanding that TLC stop production for the sake of his kids.

TLC says it is "deeply disappointed" at Jon's "erratic behavior," calling Jon's latest salvo "grossly inaccurate, without merit and...clearly opportunistic."

TLC adds, "Despite Jon Gosselin's repeated self-destructive and unprofessional actions, he remains under an exclusive contract with TLC."

But Jon may have TLC over a barrel, because it has suspended production while they hash it out with the concerned father of 8.

TMZ's confirmed Jon has sent a letter to TLC demanding they halt production of "Jon & Kate Plus 8" or any other show with his children STAT.

Gosselin now claims the filming is detrimental to his kids and he's now determined to bring in police if that's what it takes to stop the production.

So coincidence? Jon was just 86'd from the show -- which will be relaunched as "Kate Plus 8" in November -- and a day later he's suddenly worried about the kids he sporadically sees. A source connected with the production says Jon had no problem shooting the show as recently as last Friday ... but since he was essentially fired from the show this week, he's suddenly worried about his children.

FYI ... whoever put up the sign misspelled "penelty" and "Johnathon."

It's like Abbott without Costello. It's like Laurel without Hardy. It's like Sonny without Cher. Jon Gosselin is being phased out of "Jon & Kate Plus 8."

The new name of the show -- "Kate Plus Eight." TLC says Jon will be appearing less often -- translated in show biz ... see ya sucker.

We're not sure who would have paid $7 for an autograph of Jon Gosselin -- but it turns out it was never even an option.

Gosselin is scheduled to appear today at Frightworld in Buffalo, NY -- and a local paper wrote that Gosselin was charging $7 for his autograph (which by our math, is about $7 more than it's worth).

But alas, it's not true. Jon's people tell us he never agreed to any such arrangement. In fact, Jon is doing the appearance as part of his efforts to launch the Jon Gosselin Children's Foundation -- which, we're assuming, helps children who have been exploited by reality television shows. Kidding. Kind of.