Kate Defends Spanking Daughter

In the latest brouhaha to hit Jon & Kate Plus 8, the brood's beleaguered mom is defending her controversial spanking of daughter Leah that was captured by paparazzi. The series of still shots show Kate Gosselin jerking the arm of the 5-year-old, reaching around Leah's backside, and finally, Leah clutching her butt and screaming. "I love my children and when they misbehave, I discipline them as I deem appropriate," Kate told Life and Style.

Leah "was screaming and crying. Kate just pushed her away and walked off with her coffee," a witness told In Touch. The shots were aired on Entertainment Tonight, which featured a matrimonial attorney who said the photos could be used in a custody battle, should the couple's current estrangement become permanent.
(More Kate Gosselin stories.)