Former American Idol co-host Brian Dunkleman reveals he’s been an Uber driver since 2016… as his divorce and child custody case wages on
He was the co-host for season one of American Idol, alongside Ryan Seacrest in 2002.
Nearly 17-years later, and caught in the middle of a nasty divorce and child custody case with his estranged wife, Brian Dunkleman revealed he makes his living these days as an Uber driver in financial papers obtained by TMZ.
The 47-year old claimed that he has been with the ride-sharing company since March 2016, and that earns about $800 a week by working 45 hours a week.
Tough times: Brian Dunkleman revealed he has been driving for Uber since 2016, in financial papers submitted for his divorce and child custody case with his estranged wife (pictured 2016)
In the court documents, Dunkleman said he has about $2,000 in his checking account, and that he pays $1,500 in rent per month and his expenses total $1,605 each month.
The divorce proceedings have been ongoing for about two-and-a-half years.
During that time, Dunkleman and his estranged spouse, Kalea Dunkleman, have taken shots at each other, claiming physical abuse, alcohol addiction, and child stealing during their custody battle over their five-year old son Jackson.
Making ends meet: Dunkleman earns $800 a week by working 45 hours a week with Uber
Tag team: The 47-year old co-hosted American Idol with Ryan Seacrest, but resigned after season one; the two reunited for the Idol series finale on Fox in 2016
The former TV personality has claimed Kalea was an out-of-control alcoholic who posed a danger to their son.
He also has said she physically abused him and at one point drunkenly punched him in the face.
Kalea insists Brian is the one who is the abuser and that he has picked her up and thrown her against a wall in front of their son. She has admitted that she is not blameless but has insisted that she has gotten her drinking under control.
The former couple were married in 2007.
Revelation: Dunkleman said he found out after the series finale that he would have been fired from American Idol had he not quit in 2002
Dunkleman resigned from American Idol after the first season. He has only had a few media and network appearances since then, which included the American Idol series finale for Fox in 2016.
During the grand finale Dunkleman said he found out from his former bosses that he was about to be fired before he quit the show.
‘They informed me that they had decided that the show would be better served with just one host,’ he told the Huffington Post. ‘And that I was not that host. But I announced I was quitting before they could tell me. So, I didn’t know that [at the time].
He added: ‘I talked to him [Idol creator Simon Fuller] after the show and he couldn’t have been kinder and more gracious. He said, Brian, we realize that we kind of threw you to the wolves back then, because we knew you didn’t have any hosting experience. But we just thought that you were really funny. It really wasn’t fair to you.’