Jon Gosselin Is Engaged to Stephanie Lebo After 3 Years of Dating: Here's How He Proposed
The former reality star and father of eight popped the question to Lebo, whom he's been dating since 2021
Jon Gosselin is engaged.
The former reality TV star, 47, proposed to girlfriend Stephanie Lebo on Saturday, Nov. 23, surrounded by their parents at her favorite restaurant, Willoughby's on Park in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, according to Entertainment Tonight.
The outlet reported that Lebo's dad whispered to her after the emotional moment: "You don't know how long I waited for this day for you, and there was a time where I thought it was never going to happen for you. I'm so very happy for you and Jon. My best advice is never stop being in love. Love comes first."
Related: Jon Gosselin Won't Let His Kids Be on a Reality Show: 'I Worked Hard to Get Them Off TV' (Exclusive)
Gosselin first met Lebo, 36, at a mutual friend's backyard barbecue in August 2021 — just months after splitting from previous girlfriend Colleen Conrad — and the two began quietly dating soon after. They went public with their relationship in August 2023.
At the time, Gosselin told Entertainment Tonight that the pair kept their romance under wraps for nearly two years by only stepping out publicly in their small town in Pennsylvania. However, as Gosselin's growing DJ career began taking him to big cities including Los Angeles, New York and Miami, the couple realized it would be increasingly difficult for them to continue flying under the radar.
"I started traveling, and we would go together," Gosselin told ET of Lebo. "So instead of jumping the shark, we pretty much said, 'You know what, let's just organize something and come out publicly because it's gonna keep on happening. We're gonna travel together when we're together.' "
They opted to go public with their relationship via an exclusive interview in which they shared the story of how they met and and how their romance blossomed.
Related: Jon Gosselin Says He Would 'Without a Doubt' Propose to New Girlfriend Within a Year (Exclusive)
By April 2024, Gosselin was already eyeing an engagement with Lebo, revealing to PEOPLE that he planned to propose to her. After calling Lebo "the one," he said he "without a doubt" would pop the question within a year.
"I'm with my girl, she really supports me," he continued, explaining how Lebo has been there for his recent career milestones — but behind the scenes. "She doesn't really want to be in the public eye, so she doesn't come to red carpet events and those kinds of things."
While Gosselin said he's game to tie the knot again — he was previously married to Kate Gosselin for 10 years from 1999 to 2009 — he nixed the idea of having more kids. (He and Kate share twins Mady and Cara and sextuplets Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Leah and Joel.)
"We're both fixed, so it's not happening," he told PEOPLE of Lebo. "I'm not getting a reversal. It was annoying enough to get it fixed so I'm not going to go down that road. I'm 47. She's 36. We just want to enjoy life."
He noted that Lebo's 14-year-old daughter lives with the couple, so they are not empty-nesters just yet. "It's really nice," he told PEOPLE of having the teen at home with them. "I've never had one kid before, so I'm learning as well."
"So it's very different, but it's cool to see Collin and Hannah be the big brother and big sister, because they never had that," Jon continued. "So they're mentoring her as well, so it's very interesting."