According to reporting by Country Insider, former “PickleJar Up All Night” host Patrick Thomas is suing his former employer. Thomas claims the company behind the syndicated country radio show failed to pay him thousands in promised salary and bonuses.
According to court filings, Thomas was hired with a base salary of $150,000 per year and quarterly bonuses amounting to roughly 20% of that figure. However, after the show abruptly ended in December 2024, Thomas claims that PickleJar stopped paying what he was owed, including his final paycheck and performance bonuses.
The suit, filed in federal court, alleges that Thomas repeatedly reached out to PickleJar CEO Jeffrey James regarding the unpaid wages but received no meaningful response. It also claims the company never issued any of the contractual bonuses owed to Thomas during his run as host.
While the lawsuit doesn’t specify a dollar figure in damages, it estimates that the total owed exceeds $75,000, not including interest and attorney’s fees, which Thomas is also seeking.
Though “Up All Night” was broadcast from the studios of Cumulus Media’s 103.3 Country WKDF in Nashville and distributed across Cumulus-owned affiliates, the broadcaster is not named in the lawsuit.
PickleJar has yet to file a formal response. District Court Judge Eli Richardson has referred the case to a magistrate judge in hopes of reaching a settlement before trial proceedings begin.
Since the show’s cancellation, Thomas has not returned to radio. He currently co-hosts a monthly live comedy event, One Time in Nashville, at Zanie’s Nashville comedy club.
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