Tyrese Gibson held in contempt of court over unpaid child support, must pay over $73K to avoid jail time
The "Fast & Furious" actor addressed what he called "baby momma drama" on social media and called the reported detainment "traumatic."
Tyrese Gibson was detained after a contentious court hearing in Atlanta on Monday over unpaid child support amid his ongoing separation from ex-wife Samantha Lee.
In an incarceration ordered signed by Superior Court of Fulton County Judge Kevin M. Farmer and reviewed by Entertainment Weekly, the Fast and Furious actor, 45, was found in "willful contempt" for failure to make child support payments ordered back in April 2023.
He was ordered to be "taken into custody and incarcerated until such time as he purges himself of contempt" by making a payment of up to $73,525 to Lee, which also includes her attorney fees, to avoid jail time.
EW reviewed an intent to appeal notice from Gibson filed minutes after the incarceration order. The Fulton County Superior Court didn't immediately respond to EW's request for comment on Tuesday.
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On Wednesday, Sept. 11, Gibson shared a statement through his attorney, Tanya Mitchell Graham. "I am in good spirits and confident in my legal team’s pursuit of justice," he said in the statement. "I was detained, not arrested, for less than two hours and released immediately."
Gibson went on to claim that he hasn't stopped paying child support. "Even without a court order, I have always supported both my daughters beyond any court mandate," he stated. "Although there has been confusion regarding various custody and child support issues, I am currently home and there is no other litigation besides the appeal we filed last year, and the appeal filed [Tuesday.]"
The actor added that he will be avoiding social media to focus on family.
Gibson and Lee share daughter Soraya, 5, together. He's also father to teenage daughter Shayla with first wife Norma Gibson.
Ahead of the hearing, Gibson shared a lengthy video on Instagram on Sunday that predicted a possible arrest during the hearing. Chalking it up to "baby momma drama" and calling Lee's actions "goofy," Gibson said that he has "never not taken care of my kids."
"Leave me the f--- alone, man," Gibson said, addressing Lee's attorneys. "I did a prenuptial agreement for a reason. The prenup spells out everything that she gets and was supposed to get. Why are we now four years and three law firms into this woman still coming after me?"
On an Instagram Story shared Tuesday, Gibson said "getting arrested wasn't fun, as a matter of fact it was traumatic" and accused the judge of hating him.
Gibson and Lee announced in December 2020 that they have separated after four years of marriage, sharing in a joint statement that they intend to "remain the best of friends and strong coparents." "Our journey together has been a ride of both ups and downs, but it’s a journey that neither of us would have chosen to take with anyone else," they said.
This post has been updated to reflect Gibson's statement through his attorney.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.