Deon Derrico, famed for his role on TLC, has come forward with a statement following the arrest of his ex-wife, Karen Derrico, who allegedly made threats to his life.
The reality star shared with Parade on June 25 that his concerns escalated upon discovering these threats were also directed at their children. “It really alarmed and alerted me when my children told me that she had threatened to kill them,” he disclosed.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Oxygen on June 24, Karen Derrico is facing multiple charges, including violating a temporary restraining order, harassment, aggravated stalking, and the attempt to dissuade a witness with threats or physical force.
Karen, known legally as Karen Evonne Carter, has since pleaded not guilty. Her defense attorney, Jess Marchese, insists, “The allegations are completely false,” asserting that they are, “completely fabricated by Mr. Derrico.”
“The allegations are completely false,” her attorney Jess Marchese told Oxygen, “and we will prove they were completely fabricated by Mr. Derrico.”
Deon says “it’s just a very unfortunate situation,” regarding the charges against Karen. “I feel like with us having so many children, such a large family, we both should hold ourselves to a higher standard. This is just what I really feel, that we should go above and beyond.”
What Are the Allegations Against Karen Derrico?
Authorities have accused Karen of violating a temporary order for protection against domestic violence on June 17 by “sending emails unrelated to parenting matters” to Deon in violation of a family court order put in place in April, per the court records.
The mom of 14 was also accused of “willfully, unlawfully, and knowingly” threatening to cause bodily injury to Deon in a June 17 email that caused her ex to have “reasonable fear that the threat will be carried out,” authorities said.
“I want you dead,” she allegedly wrote, per the court records. ”I could kill you and it won’t even bother me to go to jail and I’ll kill any of my kids if they take your side.”
Deon also spoke out about the temporary protective orders.
“She started emailing me, asking me can we resolve it? Can we end our TPS? X, Y, and Z. I just didn’t respond,” he claimed to Parade. “She emailed me more, emailed me more. And then eventually the emails just started to escalate. And so some of the same threats that had been said to me verbally were now in email and as well my children.”
Authorities said Karen also allegedly tried to prevent Deon from attending a court proceeding pertaining to the temporary protection order in place. According to the criminal complaint, Karen allegedly threatened Deon on May 2, “telling him to watch out, that she is getting a gun and/or will have someone kill him before he can go to court.”
Per court records, the aggravated stalking charge against her stems from allegations that Karen threatened Deon’s “immediate safety” by claiming she had a gun and would “kill him and/or his new girlfriend and/or his children.” She also allegedly told him that she believed “killing him would be easy” and that she “will see to it that he dies a slow death,” according to the court records.
Authorities said the threats left Deon “in reasonable fear of death or substantial bodily harm.”
Oxygen reached out to the North Las Vegas Police, but they declined to comment citing the ongoing investigation.
Karen Derrico Pleads Not Guilty to Allegations Against Her
Karen was arraigned on the felony charges June 23 and is scheduled to return to court Aug. 6, according to court records reviewed by Oxygen. She has pleaded not guilty.
Karen and Deon shared their unique life parenting 14 children—including quintuplets, triplets and twins—in the TLC series Doubling Down with the Derricos.
The couple divorced in 2024, TMZ reported.