Deon and Karen Derrico are going their separate ways.
Earlier this year, TMZ confirmed that the leads of the TLC reality show Doubling Down With the Derricos have finalized their divorce … with a judge approving their paperwork back on June 6.
“Together, we remain unified in the parenting of our 14 beautiful children — their well-being is our priority,” Deon and Karen said in a statement issued at the time.
“We thank everyone for their understanding and support as we move forward for the good of our family.”
One Big Family
Yes, Deon and Karen are parents to 14 CHILDREN.
Their popular TLC series recently wrapped its fifth season.
The spouses — who got married in 2005 — will split custody of their 13 minor children (they have one teenager who is legally an adult); and Derrico has agreed to pay over $1100 a month in child support.
Karen, meanwhile, is responsible for paying the medical insurance premiums of their children.
The Full Roster
To summarize, the TLC personalities are are parents to Derrick, 13… 12-year-old twins Dallas and Denver… 10-year-old quintuplets Deonee, Daician, Daiten, Deniko and Dariz… 6-year-olds Diez and Dior… and 4-year-old triplets Dawsyn, De’Aren and Dyver.
As mentioned above, oldest daughter Darian is 18 years old.
Despite this impressive number of sons and daughters, Karen told Entertainment Tonight as recently as 2022 that she didn’t think they were done having kids.
“No, that diaper bag is not being hung up,” she said at the time. “I don’t feel complete. I don’t think we are 100 percent complete.”
Deon echoed this sentiment, telling this same outlet back then:
“[I] think when you have created – what I think we have created – in this home, the love, the amount of love, I could just never get tired of.”
Karen sadly suffered two miscarriages in late 2020 and late 2021.
Signs of Strain
The most recent season of Doubling Down With the Derricos focused on the tension between Karen and Dion, as they argued at one point over Darian’s decision to move across the country.
The exes have also gotten into it about the state of their new home and their oldest daughter’s education.
Shortly after the Season 5 finale, Doubling Down With the Derricos was renewed for a sixth season.
The new episodes will likely document a turbulent time for the family. In addition to Deon’s split from Karen, his nephew, Amani, passed away unexpectedly in July.
A Difficult Situation
Despite the Derricos’ intentions to keep things civil, the divorce has gotten rather messy. In fact, Deon had to issue a statement denying that he was suicidal.
Finances have reportedly been an issue, which is not a surprise, given the expense of raising such a massive brood.
Deon and Karen previously said they pay up to $3,500 in groceries per month and that it can take three hours to get the whole family ready for each day.
And yet:
“I enjoy the journey. I enjoy breast-feeding; I enjoy all of that,” Karen told Us Weekly two-plus years ago. “Although I am high risk and have to go on bedrest, things of that nature, I still enjoy the process.”
For the record, based on these divorce documents, she is NOT pregnant at the moment.
