TLC’s Karen Derrico Arrested, Ex Deon Derrico Claims She Threatened Him and Their 14 Kids
Karen Derrico of Doubling Down With the Derricos has been arrested after allegedly threatening to kill her husband, Deon Derrico, and their children.
Karen Derrico faces harassment, stalking charges
On Wednesday, TMZ broke the news that Karen had been arrested in Las Vegas and charged with harassment, violating a restraining order, preventing a witness from testifying through threat of violence, and aggravated stalking. According to prosecutors, the mom of 14 sent multiple emails to Deon in which she threatened to hurt him if he showed up for a court hearing related to a restraining order he’d filed against her, prosecutors. She also made threats against their children.
The former couple divorced in June 2024 but had been living together in order to co-parent their kids. Sources told TMZ that the relationship became strained after Karen realized she and her ex weren’t going to reconcile. She then moved out of the home, along with four of the children.
‘Doubling Down With the Derricos’ star claims his ex-wife turned on him
Soon after Karen’s arrest, Deon went to the media to share his side of the story.
“It really alarmed and alerted me when my children told me that she had threatened to kill them,” he told Parade.
Deon explained that Karen wanted to remarry, but that he’d realized “it just couldn’t work.”
“I didn’t like the games that was played, you know, when we were married the first time,” he said.
After she moved out earlier this year, Deon said his former wife filed an “unfounded” temporary protective order against him. That TPO was dismissed, but he filed his own TPO against her. Then, he said, she began lashing out over email. The written threats mirrored verbal threats Karen had made previously, Deon claimed.
“It scared me because it made me question—for her to say that to them, the times that she has said it to me—how serious was it, or how stable-minded was she when she said it?” the former TLC personality said. “And she just continued to sort of exhibit that behavior.
Karen Derrico’s lawyer says Deon ‘fabricated’ death threat allegations
Karen has been released on bond and fitted with an ankle monitor. Her next court date is in early August. She hasn’t commented directly on her arrest. But her lawyer has said that Deon, not Karen, is the real villain in the situation.
“The allegations are completely false,” Jess Marchese told Oxygen True Crime. “And we will prove they were completely fabricated by Mr. Derrico.”
Machese told TMZ that Deon actually sent the threatening emails to himself but made it look like they came from Karen. He said they are working with tech experts to prove that Deon orchestrated a plot against his ex-wife.
Doubling Down With the Derricos aired for five seasons from 2020 to 2024. Last year, Deon confirmed that the show would not return to TLC. However, he said that his family was not giving up on reality TV and was pursuing opportunities to bring a new show to a different network.
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