Former 'American Idol' host reveals he works for Uber so he could spend more time with his son

Brian Dunkleman, who co-hosted "American Idol" during its first season, is putting the tabloids in their place.

On Thursday, Jan. 3, TMZ published a story detailing Dunkleman's personal finances and his income from working as an Uber driver, which he's done since March 2016. The report cites court documents filed during Dunkleman's divorce.

Hours later, Dunkleman responded point-blank to the story, confirming he most certainly does work for Uber -- in large part because it allows him the flexibility to spend time with his 5-year-old son.

“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,” Dunkleman tweeted, tagging TMZ and its founder, Harvey Levin.

He added, "And I make over a grand on a good week mother f--kers."

He concluded the scathing response by labeling TMZ "human barnacles."

Dunkleman and his ex-wife have reportedly had difficulty figuring out a custody arrangement for their son, Jackson. His current girlfriend posted a photo of the father-son duo together after Dunkleman tweeted his reaction to TMZ.

"This is why he's an Uber driver," the woman, Andrea Whitney, wrote, adding, "I'm in love with an Uber driver."

Dunkleman has maintained a great sense of humor about his brief tenure on "American Idol," often joking about the topic on Twitter. He told Variety in 2016 that when he left the show more than a decade earlier, he thought he was making the right choice for his acting career.

"Do I regret not remaining on the show now that it’s coming to an end? Yes. Especially when I open my bank statements," he wrote. "But without the benefit of hindsight, I would have done the exact same thing."