Former 'American Idol' co-host Brian Dunkleman defends driving Uber to 'be there for my son'
Amid a divorce and custody battle, former "American Idol" co-host Brian Dunkleman defended now being an Uber driver after TMZ published some of his financial information and job status.
Dunkleman, who co-hosted only the first season of "Idol" with Ryan Seacrest, listed his occupation as an Uber driver in financial documents as part of his divorce, TMZ reported.
The TV personality then took to Twitter to explain and push back on any perceived job shaming.
"I chose to stop doing standup comedy and started driving an Uber so I could be there for my son as much as he needed after our life as we knew it was destroyed," he tweeted, tagging TMZ and its founder, Harvey Levin. "Print that."
I chose to stop doing standup comedy and started driving an Uber so I could be there for my son as much as he needed after our life as we knew it was destroyed.
Print that.@TMZ @HarveyLevinTMZ— Brian Dunkleman (@briandunkleman) January 4, 2019
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TMZ also reported how much Dunkleman had in his checking account, paid in rent and earned as a driver – saying it was "around $800 a week."
But Dunkleman had another response for the celebrity gossip website:
"And I make over a grand on a good week," he tweeted, adding a profanity and calling them "#HumanBarnacles."
Some social media users quickly defended Dunkleman, including comedian Orny Adams, who said there's "no shame in honest work."
Why shame Brian Dunkleman for being an Uber driver? He's making an honest living. Did we not learn a lesson from shaming former "Cosby Show" actor Geoffrey Owens for working at Trader Joe's? #FOX5DC https://t.co/Ud2rBU6fiP
— Jim Lokay FOX 5 (@LokayFOX5) January 4, 2019
Listen I thought you died when I saw your face on TMZ! I'm relieved to find out you're just driving Uber. No shame in honest work. Let me take you to lunch one of these days... I will always have fond memories of us bonding at the Improv and on some studio lot.
— Orny Adams (@Ornyadams) January 4, 2019
Similar to Dunkleman, former "Cosby Show" actor Geoffrey Owens also recently faced job shaming when photos of him working at a Trader Joe's in New Jersey surfaced.
More: 'Cosby Show' actor Geoffrey Owens uses job-shaming to send message to struggling actors
Many celebrities rallied behind Owens, and the actor even earned two TV jobs and a $25,000 gift from Nicki Minaj, which he donated, in the wake of the photos.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former 'American Idol' co-host Brian Dunkleman defends driving Uber to 'be there for my son'