Fans of TLC’s Deon and Karen Derrico from Doubling Down with the Derricos were shocked that the parents of 14 secretly filed for divorce on June 4. Even more surprising was it was finalized just two days later. Throughout the show’s run, viewers watched them argue over trivial things, but a divorce didn’t seem imminent. Despite dissolving their marriage, they remain committed to co-parenting their 13 minor children; Karen even wished Deon a Happy Father’s Day recently. With such a quick divorce, there were a few signs the couple were at odds.
The now-divorced couple had major money troubles.
Deon worked in real estate while Karen focused on caring for the children. With 14 kids, the cost of living only increases. In one episode, the former couple revealed their monthly grocery bill is between $2,500 and $3,500. Medical expenses were also a factor. They focused on grooming at home, with Deon providing haircuts and Karen doing the girls’ hair. Multiple media outlets report that they’ve filed for bankruptcy previously.
The Derricos disagreed over their living situation.
In Season 5, Karen and Deon butted heads about moving into a new home. While a new home with more space seemed ideal for such a large family, Karen was visibly annoyed. In 2022, she opened up to Blavity about her desire to relocate the family to her home state of South Carolina to be closer to her family. Deon was in fierce opposition.
“He’s in real estate, so, of course, it was the prime real estate. I’m thinking we can get to Myrtle Beach and be near the beach. In the event of anything happening, we can always sell and flip and get close to that value. There’s land, and we can have our own Derrico compound. I grew up in the country. That’s my family there, and I wanted to be closer to my family so that they could get to know my mom and we had two big deaths in my family, my grandmother and my uncle, and that was a lot to endure being so far away. For me, I need them [the kids] to use those words, as far as cousin…”
The South Carolina move never happened, with Deon joking in the interview that he’d get Karen to change her mind.
Deon’s mother, Gigi
While grandparents’ help is always a blessing, Deon’s mother, Gigi, often meddled in their business. The duo doubled up against Karen. She had issues with their ever-expanding large family and opposed Karen’s dream of moving to South Carolina.
“He chimed Gigi in, and they joined forces,” Karen joked to Blavity in 2022. But as most situations would have it, Deon would utilize his mother as a weapon, leaving Karen on an island of her own.
