Rapper and actor Tyrese Gibson found himself on the wrong side of the law when a Georgia judge held him in contempt in connection to child support backpay. The Fast and Furious actor was ordered to be jailed on Monday.
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USA Today reported that the decision came during the third motion for contempt hearing by Gibson’s ex-wife, Samantha Lee. Not only did the incident catch the attention of legal and entertainment circles, but it sparked discussion about the complexities of celebrity obligations, family law, and issues parents face when dealing with the child support system.
Gibson Pays Child Support for Both of His Daughters
Gibson, 45, and his ex-wife Samantha Lee married in early 2017 and have a 5-year-old daughter. The couple got divorced in 2020.
Before Samantha, Tyrese married Norma Mitchell, but they divorced in 2009. He also has an older daughter with Norma.
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Court papers show that Tyrese has been paying child support for both daughters, even before being legally mandated to do so. He was paying $10,000/month to his older daughter, so the judge ordered the same amount for his younger daughter.
As per Georgia law, there are stiff penalties for parents who fail to pay legally mandated child support. This may include jail time, revocation of business license, wage garnishment, denial or suspension of driver’s license, and the offsetting of state and federal income tax refunds.
Gibson Described the Experience as Traumatic
Gibson was ordered to pay $73,500 to Fulton County to be released. Initially, the actor said he was arrested, but there was no information about when he was taken into custody.
He addressed the arrest on his Instagram Stories, writing, “Getting arrested wasn’t fun as a matter of fact it was very traumatic… One would ask why does this judge Kevin M. Farmer HATE me so much?”
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Later, he clarified that he was only detained for a couple of hours. However, he still described the experience to be extremely traumatic.
“I was detained, not arrested, for less than two hours and released immediately after the great work of my attorney, Tanya Mitchell Graham’s Notice of Intent to Appeal was filed into the Clerk’s Office minutes after the Judge’s ruling.”
Gibson Addressed the Broader Implications of His Case
The “Sweet Lady” singer has been quite vocal about his perspective on the whole situation. He didn’t hold back from questioning the judge’s motives and pointing out issues related to the family court system.
He expressed his heartfelt sympathy for parents dealing with the complexities involved in the family court system without enough financial resources. Gibson explained that it is extremely discouraging to see how present fathers often end up facing penalties instead of support. He identified Black and Brown communities to be the ones most affected by the whole legal system.
In Gibson’s case, his attorneys played it well and presented several arguments in his defense. He was released from custody after his attorney filed an appeal, and argued that though an arbitrator maintained his premarital agreement, they wrongly dismissed the part related to attorney fees.
Lee, his ex-wife, is still seeking $7,500. Fortunately, argument greatly helped the actor buy some time and saved him from paying back child support before being released.