The Derricos Consider Eric Jefferson a "Primary Family Member," but Who Is He?

TLC is known for its shows about big families, and Doubling Down With the Derricos is one of the network's latest. Deon and Karen Derrico have 14 children — twins, a set of quintuplets, two sets of triplets, and two single children. We should also mention they were all conceived without IVF. Obviously, their family size rivals that of other TLC reality families.

While there are a lot of members of the family to keep track of, viewers took notice to Eric Jefferson, who made his debut in Season 1 of the show. But who is Eric Jefferson?

Keep reading to find out how Eric became a part of the Derrico family and where his relationship with them stands.

Eric is introduced early on in the show as a "primary family member" of the Derricos, but his relationship with them isn't by blood. That being said, it's clear that Eric is considered a close confidant of the family.

“I worked in real estate, and over time I started asking little favors of him regarding the real estate business," Eric says of his relationship with Deon.

He started as a tenant of the Derricos before he began asking them for favors. He then worked his way up as an employee and slowly became a trusted member of the family. While he isn't a direct relative, it's clear he has a strong bond with the family

Eric shared how important his relationship with the Derricos is on the show. He talked about his time in the system and revealed that growing up, he bounced around between foster homes. But the Derrico family has welcomed him with open arms to where he now considers himself an "honorary Derrico."

He seems to have a strong bond with the whole family. In the show's premiere episode, Eric brings a cake for Deon and Karen's children.

"When the big brother loves his little siblings, and his little siblings love him right back ... older siblings are essential in a loving home!" Deon captioned a photo of Eric with their youngest.

"The protection, love, care, loyalty, and time that big brother [Eric] gives all 14 [of] our babies is priceless ... he’s a big brother but the time and patience that he gives our babies is next to co-parenting status ... every parent wishes for their older children to give this kind of love to their babies."

While the Derricos clearly hold a special place in his heart, Eric did have a family of his own — though it was much smaller than the Derricos sprawling family of 16.

Eric's family consisted of him and his wife, Felicia Jefferson, whom he married in 2014. Sadly, the two reportedly divorced in 2021, and had no children of their own.

Outside of his time with the family, Eric likes to box, and he can be seen sharing fighting clips on his Instagram. He even met former Bachelor Matt James during a boxing session.

New episodes of Season 4 of Doubling Down With the Derricos air on TLC on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EST.