Jon Gosselin Says He ‘Could Have Died’ After Terrifying Blood Clot Emergency

Jon Gosselin knew something was seriously off when grueling pain started in his leg and eventually spread to his upper shoulder. But the moment that truly alarmed the former Jon & Kate Plus 8 star came when he woke up coughing in the middle of the night.

“I was like, ‘Something is wrong,’” the 48-year-old recalled in a Daily Mail interview published Wednesday, January 28. “I coughed up what looked like silly putty – it was a blood clot.”

What Jon did next? He admits it was incredibly dangerous. Rather than waking anyone in his household — including the two children who live with him — he got behind the wheel and drove himself to the hospital.

“If you have deep-vein thrombosis you could die at the wheel,” he admitted, calling the decision the “biggest no-no” with his condition.

Deep-vein thrombosis, or DVT, occurs when blood clots form in the deep veins of the body, typically in the legs. These clots can become life-threatening if they break loose and travel to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism.

The diagnosis was worse than he expected

An MRI at the hospital revealed just how serious Jon’s condition had become: he was diagnosed with two bilateral pulmonary embolisms, meaning blood clots had traveled to both of his lungs.

The former TLC star was fortunate he sought help when he did. He has since recovered and now manages his condition with multiple medications.

“I’m on heart meds, blood pressure meds, aspirin, and then I take Eliquis. It’s a drug that prevents blood clots,” he explained.

Jon didn’t sugarcoat how close he came to a very different outcome.

“But I definitely could have died. If I had just stayed home that night, I could have had a real pulmonary embolism and just died.”

His kids and fiancée were ‘freaked out’

The health scare hit Jon’s family hard. Hannah and Collin — the two Gosselin children who live with their father — were deeply shaken by the news. His then-fiancée Stephanie Lebo had an equally intense reaction.

“Stephanie was scared to death,” Jon recalled of his now-wife, whom he married weeks after the health shock.

The couple went through with their November 2025 wedding shortly after Jon’s medical emergency, a decision that speaks to their commitment and perhaps a renewed sense of just how precious time together can be.

Then came the $20,000 hospital bill

As if the near-death experience wasn’t stressful enough, Jon found himself facing a massive medical bill that he believes included charges for procedures he didn’t need.

The DJ was left with a $20,000 medical bill, which he claimed contained an “unnecessary test.”

“It was a nonprofit hospital, so they get paid anyway, and they billed me for the whole procedure … but there were weird things that happened. Like I got an MRI, right? They scanned my whole body for blood clots,” he said.

His frustration grew when he was sent for an ultrasound after already receiving the full-body scan.

“Well, you already scanned my whole body, so you know where it is and you told me where it is. So now you’re gonna give me an ultrasound? You’re double billing me!”