Jon Gosselin has filed a $5 million claim against TLC in the latest skirmish in his war with the network, saying its representatives damaged his reputation and career by preventing him from working with other media outlets.

The reality star dad claims in the suit that the network contacted various media outlets he’d been in touch with to persuade them to stop dealing with him.

Mark Heller, Gosselin’s lawyer, maintains that the reality star did not have an attorney or a manager present when he signed the contract for “Jon and Kate Plus Eight” with TLC last year.

He added, “Their [TLC] behavior has caused Jon great anguish and it has caused him financial losses…. They had a cadre of lawyers so they had a one-sided agreement.”

The network breached its own contract with Gosselin and owes him $175,000 for shows that already aired, Gosselin’s lawsuit–a counterclaim against a lawsuit that TLC has filed against him–also claims. According to the lawsuit, the Gosselins’ contract, dated April 28, 2008, says he gets $22,500 for each half-hour episode and $45,000 for each one-hour episode.

(article and photo source: CNN)