Key Takeaways
- Deon Derrico alleges in court filings that his ex-wife, Karen, continues to bring a man around their children despite their daughter’s allegation that he touched her inappropriately; no independent evidence substantiates the accusation.
- Karen separately accuses Deon of blocking visits and video calls with their children, while he claims 12 of their 14 children live with him under their joint legal custody arrangement.
- The former Doubling Down with the Derricos stars’ custody dispute follows Karen’s not-guilty plea to harassment, stalking, and other charges involving alleged threats against Deon and their children.
Former Doubling Down with the Derricos star Deon Derrico is accusing his ex-wife, Karen Derrico, of allowing a man who allegedly touched their daughter inappropriately to remain around their children.
According to new court documents obtained by TMZ, Deon claims he discovered disturbing allegations in his daughter's journal and confronted Karen about the man, only to have his concerns dismissed. The accusations are the latest development in an increasingly bitter custody battle between the former TLC stars.
Deon claims 12 of their 14 children currently live with him and says the journal entries raised "significant concern regarding the safety and welfare" of their minor children.
According to the filing, his daughter alleged that the unidentified man touched her inappropriately when she was younger. Deon says Karen continues to spend time with the man despite being told about the allegations.
The filing does not specify whether Karen and the man are romantically involved, and no independent evidence has substantiated the accusations against him.
Karen, however, has made her own accusations. In a separate court filing, she claims Deon has deliberately kept their children away from her, preventing in-person visits beginning in April before cutting off video contact in August.
The former couple shares joint legal custody under their 2024 divorce agreement, making the competing allegations particularly significant as their custody dispute continues.
Karen has not yet responded to Deon's latest claims.
Prosecutors accused her of sending emails threatening to kill Deon and "any of the kids" who sided with him during their divorce. Karen pleaded not guilty, and her attorney, Jess Marchese, previously claimed Deon manufactured the emails to frame her.
Deon denied the accusation, telling Oxygen it was "absolutely absurd and preposterous."
In that same interview, Deon described his family’s breakdown in unusually stark terms. "I feel like someone died," he told Oxygen. “Something that I loved died, and that was us as a unit as a whole, and our family is torn in two.”
He also acknowledged that co-parenting would remain unavoidable despite their differences. "We have to co-parent," he said. "She's still their parent." However, he argued that counseling, parenting classes, and court-ordered safeguards would be necessary to protect their children moving forward.
The former couple spent five seasons documenting their lives as they raised 14 children on TLC's Doubling Down with the Derricos before divorcing in 2024.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, confidential support is available through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or through RAINN at rainn.org.
