Former ‘American Idol’ Co-Host Brian Dunkleman Is Not Ashamed Of Being An Uber Driver Now

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You would think tabloids would know better than to stoop to shaming an actor for taking a regular day job after the drubbing those tabloids took so recently for shaming Cosby Show actor Geoffrey Owens for working at Trader Joe’s. Owens was, understandably, not ashamed about having a job, and is still being offered acting work between those non-acting gigs.

So now who do tabloid reporters think should be ashamed about working for a living like a regular human? *spins the wheel* It’s former American Idol co-host and stand-up comedian Brian Dunkleman, who hosted alongside Ryan Seacrest for only the first of the hit show’s sixteen seasons (although he did return for the series finale). Dunkleman is probably most known for walking away from the ratings juggernaut in 2002, but we’ll always recognize him for having one of the best last names — next only to Bortles — to shout accusingly in crowded spaces.

He also drives for Uber now, which he’s apparently supposed to be ashamed about? Dunkleman wasn’t taking any guff from tabloids who “exposed” his current job as there were anything to expose about working for a living to support his kid while spending more time at home instead of going out of town as a stand-up comic.

Dunkleman, who is currently battling for custody of his son, fired back at TMZ on Twitter, saying, “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.” He followed up by calling them “Human Barnacles” and pointing out, “I make over a grand on a good week motherf*ckers.”

In court documents obtained by TMZ, Dunkleman listed his average income as $800 per week for 45-hour work weeks, and he states he’s been driving for Uber since March 2016. This is more income than a lot of stand-up comedians make, to be honest.

As for American Idol, Dunkleman seems to have come to terms with the show’s success back in 2016, when he said, “You got to make up your mind that either you are going to be that angry guy for the rest of your life, or you gotta move on.” He added that he wouldn’t have been able to pursue acting if he’d stayed, saying, “I don’t even know who I would be if I was still on that show.”

(Via People and CNN)

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