Atlanta Actor Tyrese Gibson Jailed for Unpaid Child Support
Atlanta, GA — Atlanta actor and singer Tyrese Gibson has been jailed in Fulton County due to failing to pay nearly $74,000 in back child support. According to court documents filed on Monday, Gibson was found in contempt and was to remain incarcerated until he either made the payment in full or received further orders from the court.
The documents indicated that Gibson owed a total of $73,525.73 and had a window of 48 hours to settle the payment. The news took many by surprise, and Gibson himself took to social media to express his feelings about the situation. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, he described the experience as “traumatic.”
“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?” Gibson wrote.
A Looming Legal Battle
Gibson’s troubles didn’t seem to end with this recent ruling. The actor expressed his intention to appeal the contempt ruling, citing what he believes to be unfair treatment by the court. He suggested that the outcome was almost predictable, alleging bias among those involved in the case.
“Samantha’s lawyer Adam Gleklen and William Alexander who are besties with the judge Kevin M Farmer [collusion],” Gibson had posted on Instagram before deleting it. The post had alerted his fans about his arrest over the weekend.
Further stirring the pot, Gibson mentioned ongoing efforts to have Judge Kevin M Farmer recused from the bench. “We are APPEALLING ALL OF HIS RULINGS AND ALREADY HAVE TRIED TO GET THIS JUDGE THROWN OFF THE BENCH TWICE….. The second time we tried to get him recused from the bench. [He actually denied his own request to be thrown off the bench]… imagine that???” he said.
A Divorce and Its Fallout
Gibson and his ex-wife Samantha Lee, with whom he shares a 5-year-old daughter, were married in 2017 and divorced in 2020. At the time, they had released a joint statement about their separation, describing it as a painful but necessary decision.
“We have decided to make a statement of a painful and significant development in our lives. After much thought, consideration, and prayer, we unfortunately have made the difficult decision to officially separate & divorce,” the couple wrote. “Our intention is to remain the best of friends & strong co-parents. We feel incredibly blessed to have found each other and deeply grateful for the 4 years we have been married to each other. Our journey together has been a ride of both ups & downs, but it’s a journey that neither of us would have chosen to take with anyone else.”
They continued, “We truly have so much love & respect for each other. We both have grown tremendously within this relationship; we have shared so many beautiful memories and moments, and we also look forward to see the amazing futures we have ahead of us individually. As if 2020 hasn’t already been extremely grueling and challenging to us all, we wanted to mutually speak on this now to keep this energy in 2020 and not take this energy into 2021. We would really appreciate your most sincere prayers and to respect our privacy at this time as we deal with the reality of where we are.”
Recent Personal Tragedy
Adding to his list of challenges, Gibson had also recently lost his mother after she was hospitalized due to complications from COVID-19 and pneumonia. This personal tragedy has further complicated his current circumstances.
For now, Tyrese Gibson remains behind bars, awaiting either the payment of his overdue child support or further direction from the court. His appeal process will likely unfold in the coming weeks, providing hopefully more clarity on his situation and any possible resolutions.
