Hailey Glassman Says Jon Gosselin Drama Led to Her Marriage

Hailey Glassman is opening up about how her relationship with Jon Gosselin changed the direction of her life — including her decision to marry her husband, Rubin.

In a preview of the September 22 episode of “The Real Housewives of New York City,” Hailey gets candid with Jessel Taank about the intense media attention surrounding her romance with the former “Jon & Kate Plus 8” star. She also explains why the experience ultimately influenced her “unconventional” marriage to Rubin.

“We broke up, because when you’re in the media, and you’re in the tabloids, it’s awful, and I was so beaten down,” Hailey says of Jon. “And then Rubin stepped in. I ran into him in [Martha’s] Vineyard. He was like, ‘Oh give me a call.’ Gave me his number.”

Hailey says Rubin came back into her life at a time when she was looking for stability.

“When we got married, there was a lot going on. I was in the tabloids. I just wanted to be safe in marriage,” she explains.

Hailey Glassman Says She Chose ‘Safety and Survival’ After Jon Gosselin

Hailey is even more direct while speaking to RHONY producers, admitting that she doesn’t believe she would have married Rubin if she hadn’t gone through the public fallout surrounding Jon.

“The whole Jon Gosselin situation, if that never happened, my life would be completely different today. And when I say that, I would have never married Rubin,” she says. “I would have never chose a life based off safety and survival. I didn’t choose the life that I wanted for myself, I chose a life to be safe, and to protect myself and my soul.”

Hailey and Rubin have now been married for 15 years, but their history goes back much further. She tells Jessel that they have known each other since childhood after growing up near each other and meeting at sailing camp in Martha’s Vineyard.

Hailey also explains the arrangement within their marriage after previously describing it as a “lavender marriage” in the RHONY season 16 trailer.

“So we have like an unconventional marriage,” she says. “He like lets me do my thing — just no other guys. Like, I don’t date other men. But it’s not like some poly situation — nothing like that.”

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Hailey also gives Jessel more background on how she became involved with Jon, revealing that their families knew each other before “Jon & Kate Plus 8” became a reality TV hit.

“He was best friends with my mom before ‘Jon & Kate Plus 8’ ever existed,” she says. “[Kate] had six kids at once, and wanted a tummy tuck. So my dad did the tummy tuck. My mom [helped her] recover…at the house and stuff. From there, they became family friends.”

Hailey says she was 22 when her friendship with Jon became romantic. At the time, she says Jon and Kate Gosselin were separated but couldn’t publicly discuss it.

“[Jon and Kate] couldn’t tell the public, so Jon called my mom and said, ‘Hey, I can’t go to a hotel. Can I move into your house?’” Hailey recalls. “He moves to my parents house. I come home from college 2009, next thing I know…a friendship turned into more.”

According to Hailey, the situation changed dramatically after someone photographed her with Jon on her father’s yacht.

“We were on my dad’s yacht, and someone got a photo, and then it was on TMZ and they were like, ‘Jon With Mystery Woman’ and ‘plastic surgeon’s daughter.’ So, it became this whole like ‘Homewrecking Hailey.’ ‘She ruined a family of eight,’” she says.

Hailey maintains that the public narrative surrounding the relationship didn’t reflect what actually happened.

“That was never the story,” she says.

Tell us! Did you know about Hailey and Jon back then? Let us know in the comments below.

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About Perry Carpenter

Perry Carpenter has been covering entertainment news for more than 20 years — and yes, she absolutely has opinions about the latest Bravo casting shake-ups. Throughout her career, she has specialized in celebrity news and television, with a particular obsession for all things Bravo, "The Challenge," "Outlander," of course, Travis & Taylor, and the ever-expanding Taylor Sheridan universe. A member of the International Association of Professional Writers and Editors, Perry has built a storied freelance career covering pop culture's biggest moments and smallest Easter eggs. Her work has appeared in Showbiz Cheatsheet, Daily Express, Radar Online, and on her Muck Rack profile.