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Tyrese Gibson was reportedly arrested in court for failing to pay child support. TMZ.
Gibson appeared in Fulton County Court on Monday, September 9, to face the judge over alleged child support he owes to his ex-wife, Samantha Lee, with whom the 45-year-old actor has five-year-old Soraya.
Accordingly TMZJudge Kevin Farmer – the judge who originally ordered Gibson to pay $10,000 a month in child support in April 2023 – found the musician in contempt of court, after which the bailiff handcuffed him and escorted him out of the courtroom.
The father of two can reportedly avoid jail if he pays $73,000, which reportedly includes $7,500 for Lee’s legal fees. The report comes after Gibson shared a lengthy video on Instagram on Sunday, September 8, in which he not only vented his anger over the situation, but also suggested he expected to be arrested in court the next day.
The Angry X The star begins the video picking out his outfit and saying that he’s never been arrested in his life because “I don’t do anything illegal.” At one point in the video, he advises his fans to buy tickets to his upcoming shows – to “support real R&B” – and shrugs, “That’s if they don’t lock me up tomorrow.”
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
“I know I’m different. I know I’m doing what most people aren’t doing. I can’t even say I’m scared right now,” Gibson continues. “If he tries to arrest me, I’m just going to say, ‘Screw it, man, get it over with.’ But the details are very simple. I had one of the most detailed prenuptial agreements ever.”
Elsewhere in the 15-minute video, Gibson says that this is not a “man versus woman” scenario, even though his caption is aimed at women. In his comments, he specifically thanks the women who have supported him, saying that “most women” always side with the woman in these cases, even when they are in the wrong.
“If you were born a man and you walk into a courtroom, you realize there’s a preset menu that says, ‘You were born a man, so screw you.’ That’s on the preset menu,” Gibson says at one point.
Gibson also refutes part of his prenuptial agreement with Lee, insisting that she is obligated to pay her own lawyers if she wishes to pursue any part of the prenuptial agreement in court.
In another quote: 1992 The actor said his ex’s lawyers were after him because of his career.
“Why are Samantha’s lawyers just asking for all my bank statements? Why are they sending screenshots of my IMDB page? Leave me the fuck alone, man. I signed a prenup for a reason,” he said.
TMZ reported that Gibson paid about $2,200 per month in child support, even though she was required to pay $10,690 per month.
The case has long been controversial, with the judge previously threatening to hold Gibson in contempt of court because he became heated during the trial, displayed an aggressive attitude toward Lee’s attorney and tried to ask his own questions rather than answering questions about his finances.
The publication also reported that sources said Gibson is currently in the process of arranging to pay $73,000 to be released from prison.
Gibson and ex Lee married in 2017 and had their daughter Soraya the following year. They announced their divorce in December 2020. In August 2022, the couple was declared legally single.
According to reports, Gibson already pays $10,690 per month in child support for daughter Shayla, 17, with ex Norma Mitchell, per TMZ.
