The last thing Orlando Shaw needs is a reality show.
Shaw, 33, who is unemployed, has 22 children by 14 women, and he’s being sued in Nashville, Tennessee’s most expensive child support case. Shaw claims he’s a good father but says he can’t afford the tens of thousands of dollars he owes in child support payments.
“I was young and ambitious, and I love women,” Shaw told a local television station. “You can’t knock no man for loving women.”
Maybe not. But we can knock Shaw for being an irresponsible knucklehead who can’t possibly provide for 22 children in any sort of emotional or financial way.
It’s a shame that Shaw is unapologetic about his behavior and shows no remorse. He’s a terrible example for black men in America; he’s the worst kind role model for young men everywhere – and he’s a sorry excuse for a father.
How will these children get the emotional care they need and deserve? How can Shaw possibly put in the time necessary to give these children the kind quality parenting they need to help them make intelligent life choices.
In fact, Shaw seems to boast about his careless circumstances. His children range in age from an infant to 18 years old, which means Shaw fathered his first child when he was 14.
“Do the ladies like you?” Shaw was asked by a reporter.
“The ladies love me. They don’t like me. They love me,” Shaw said.
And what about these ladies? Shouldn’t they be held responsible, too? Seems to be a lot of blame to go around? What was number #12, #13 and #14 thinking when they clearly saw a pattern of dysfunctional behavior by Shaw and the other 11 women?
At what point did the light bulb go off?
And get this: When asked to name his children, Shaw paused for a moment because he couldn’t remember the names of all of his kids. And here’s what’s worse: A television production company is considering offering Shaw his own reality show – which seems to condone Shaw’s unbelievably reckless behavior.
“I’ve had a lot of people from Hollywood calling me,” said Shaw.
Shaw said he recently signed a production deal with a prominent Los Angeles agency for a reality show. Any money he does make on the show will be garnished to pay for his children.
Perhaps a reality show is a way for Shaw to generate money to pay child support, but we can only imagine that America will witness the worst kind of baby-mama-drama, arguments, charges and counter charges and 22 children who are growing without a father who is engaged in their lives.
A reality television show would only exploit Shaw’s irresponsible behavior and put the women and his children in the national spotlight. Even if Shaw would like to be part of his children’s upbringing, does he really have the time or the energy?
“I’m a devoted father to all of my children,” Shaw said. “I’m not a deadbeat. I’ve never been a deadbeat.” Shaw said there were too many fathers who were not involved in their children’s lives.
“Out of all of my children, all of their mothers can find me – or if they can’t find me, I’ll find them. I don’t play about with those children,” he said.
And there’s another baby on the way: his 16-year-old daughter is pregnant.
“I have babies for her,” Shaw said. “If she wanted a baby, daddy has plenty for us.”
Juvenile court Magistrate Scott Rosenberg handled the Shaw case and said the interest in Shaw’s case was not surprising.
“Some of these things were so shocking that people had never heard before and didn’t realize these situations exist,” said Rosenberg. Many people have wondered why Rosenberg couldn’t just order Shaw to have a vasectomy.
“People have the right to have children and there’s no constitutional limit on the right to procreate,” said Rosenberg.
Rosenberg is correct from a legal standpoint, but Shaw should have exercised some old-fashioned common sense and listened to his mother.
Will you watch Shaw’s reality show? What do you think?
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