An Atlanta judge showed just how serious he was about child support on Monday when he ordered Tyrese into custody for failure to pay child support.
The artist (real name Tyrese Gibson) was arrested for failing to pay court-ordered child support to his ex-wife, Samantha Lee, with whom he shares a 5 year old daughter. The judge, Kevin Farmer, had ordered Gibson to pay $10,000 per month starting in April 2023, but Gibson had been paying only $2,200 monthly.
During a court hearing in Fulton County, Georgia, the judge expressed frustration with Gibson’s continued refusal to meet the payment requirement. As a result, Gibson was held in contempt of court, handcuffed, and taken into custody. However, the judge offered him a way to avoid jail by paying $73,000, which includes $7,500 for Lee’s attorney fees.
It appears that Tyrese saw his arrest coming, appearing Sunday on Instagram to say that he’s never done anything illegal and claiming that both of his exes are in the wrong and that he is innocent, asking his women followers who have been in similar situations to side with him. He also encouraged his followers to buy tickets to his upcoming shows as a way to “support real R&B.”
Despite his morning arrest, sources report that Gibson plans to come up with the $73,000 and be released by the end of the day.
This is not Gibson’s first dust up with the judge. In a 2023 hearing, Gibson pushed back on the judge after the judge read from his tax return that he [Gibson] had made $2.2 million in 2018 despite claiming that his finances were “in shambles.” After Gibson protested, the judge ordered him to be held in contempt before issuing the child support order.