Tyrese Gibson, star of the Fast & Furious franchise, faces the risk of jail time after being held in contempt of court for failing to pay $10,000 in monthly child support to his ex-wife, Samantha Lee.
The court-ordered sum is a significant increase from the $2,200 he was previously paying for their 5-year-old daughter, Soraya.
The legal battle between Gibson and Lee has intensified, with the actor being taken into custody on Monday morning following a hearing at the Fulton County court. The presiding judge, Kevin Farmer, ordered that Gibson pay $73,000, including $7,500 in attorney fees, to settle the contempt charges and avoid jail time.
Gibson’s refusal to comply with the increased child support payments has been ongoing since last year when Judge Farmer first ruled that he must pay $10,690 per month. During the hearing, the judge reminded Gibson that the payment was not meant as a punishment, stating, “Put that money where it belongs—in the child!” He also advised both parties not to be hostile or use their daughter as a pawn in their disagreements.
Gibson, who has consistently maintained his innocence, predicted his arrest in a now-deleted Instagram post, calling the situation “baby mama drama” and accusing his ex-wife’s lawyers, Adam Gleklin and William Anderson, of working with Judge Farmer against him. In his post, the actor criticized the court system and claimed that his prenuptial agreement with Lee, signed during their 2020 divorce, was being unjustly disregarded.
According to Gibson, the prenup was designed to avoid legal complications, but he alleges that Lee’s legal team is using his wealth against him. He vented his frustrations over the legal scrutiny he’s been facing, particularly questioning why Lee’s attorneys requested his bank statements and examined his film credits. “Why are they sending screenshots of my IMDB page? Leave me the f–k alone, man. I did a prenuptial agreement for a reason,” Gibson stated.
In his deleted social media post, Gibson also accused Judge Farmer of bias, alleging that the judge has refused to recuse himself despite a conflict of interest. The actor revealed that he had attempted to have the judge removed from the case twice, both times unsuccessfully. “He actually denied his own request to be thrown off the bench… imagine that?” he wrote.
Despite his mounting legal challenges, Gibson remains defiant, insisting that the ruling to increase his payments is unfair. “It’s pretty clear that they hate my guts,” he added, while defending his work ethic and success, noting, “I’ve worked my a-s off since I was 14 years old to get here. #FamilyLawCourts are the WORST TOWARDS FATHERS.”
The actor’s personal life has been the subject of public interest in recent years, following his split from social media influencer Zelie Timothy in 2022. Despite his past failed marriages, including with Lee and his first wife, Norma, with whom he shares a teenage daughter, Shayla, Gibson expressed hope in rekindling the institution of marriage.
In an interview with Essence, Gibson stated, “I want to get married and settle down and really nest and embrace the comforts of this family and married life. I don’t want to be in your clubs or around your women. I want to stay home and be the hard-working family man that I am.”
As Gibson continues to navigate his legal battle, sources close to him suggest that he is making arrangements to pay the $73,000 needed to avoid further consequences. For now, the actor’s future remains uncertain as his fight against the court order continues.