Ex American Idol Host Brian Dunkleman is Proud of Job Driving for Uber

Brian Dunkleman had the best job on the planet when he co-hosted American Idol season 1 with Ryan Seacrest back in the summer of 2002. Dunkleman says he quit the show after the first season because he felt the tone of the show was too cruel. Producers have hinted that he was pushed out of his job. But in any case, since that first season, Ryan Seacrest has gone on to become the second coming of Dick Clark, Dunkleman has become a punchline. Poor guy!

Now, TMZ is reporting that Dunkleman, in the midst of a nasty divorce, has left show business altogether and is driving for Uber.

Dunkleman is in the middle of a divorce with Kalea Dunkleman. He submitted financial docs — obtained by TMZ — disclosing his occupation as “Uber driver.” He says he started the job in March 2016 and continued to this day.

Brian says he works about 45 hours a week and pulls in around $800 a week.

Dunkleman says he has $2,000 in his checking account. He pays $1,500 in rent per month and his expenses total $1,605 each month.

Dunkelman’s five year old son lives with him half the week as bitter divorce/custody proceedings have dragged on for more than 2 years. According to TMZ, the former comic claimed his ex-wife was an “out-of-control alcoholic who was a danger to their son.” Dunkleman also claimed she physically abused him. For her part, the ex-wife claims Dunkleman was physically abusive toward her and called her a “useless bitch.”

However, hours after TMZ posted the time, Dunkleman fought back.

“I chose to stop doing stand-up 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,” Dunkleman wrote on Twitter.

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