Tyrese Gibson's $20K Child Support Dispute Heats Up Again

Highlights

• Tyrese Gibson's child support dispute with ex-wife Samantha Lee continues to escalate, with both parties making inflammatory statements against each other on social media.
• Gibson claims that the $20,000 per month demanded by Lee for child support is excessive, as they never spent that much on their daughter when they were together.
• Gibson is frustrated with the family court system, arguing that fathers have no rights and often face unfair judgments. He vows to continue taking care of his daughters, regardless of his relationship with their mothers.

Tyrese Gibson's child support dispute is in the news again, after Gibson revived an ongoing feud during an appearance on Joe Budden's podcast.

Tyrese had been embroiled in a protracted divorce and child support matter with ex-wife Samantha Lee for well over a year as of late November.

In September 2022, TheRichest.com reported:

During a divorce hearing in Georgia [in 2022], Tyrese Gibson was found to be in contempt of court for failing to pay child support.

[Tyrese and Samantha Lee] are embroiled in a contentious custody battle over their [then] 3-year-old daughter, Soraya Lee.

In response to allegations that he made $2 million [in 2021], his estranged wife's lawyer asked how that squares with his claim that he has been experiencing financial hardship.

Samantha Lee Gibson Will Receive $10,069 A Month From Tyrese Gibson For Child Support

By May 2023, Tyrese's child support issues had not been resolved, and the Fast And Furious star was once again in court over issues of custody and support.

In April, pop culture site Complex.com reported that Tyrese was "inspired" to argue on behalf of other fathers after his experience.

Complex.com quoted Gibson on the matter of child support and family courts in general, after Gibson was ordered to pay around $650,000 in child support during a hearing in April.

Gibson vowed to "never not take care of [his] daughters, whether [he's] with their mother or not," and expressed frustration over being labeled a "deadbeat dad" while working to provide for his daughters:

It’s not about me ... What just happened today happens every day in the family law court system. Fathers have no rights. Period.

So the bigger the ass whoopin’ that I get in court, the more it’s going to shed light on what has been happening since the beginning of time ... it’s not okay to call us deadbeat dads when we’re hustling, grinding, traveling, doing whatever it takes to put food on the table and take care of our families.

On May 12th, TheRichest.com addressed then-current developments regarding Tyrese's child support:

Tyrese Ordered To Pay Over $600,000 In Child Support, Legal Fees

Tyrese Gibson is going to have to pay up big time, as he’s been ordered to pay his ex-wife $250,000 and her attorney $400,000 following a child custody hearing.

In August [2022], a judge decided that Tyrese would have to pay $10,000 in child support per month to Samantha Lee Gibson, whom he was married to from 2017 to 2020 ...

... Based on the court’s ruling, it was also determined Tyrese owes Samantha over $200,000 in child support dating back to when she first filed for divorce in September 2020. Though they’ve been declared legally single, the former couple is still finalizing their divorce.

On September 5th, Complex.com revisited the controversy, after Tyrese addressed it on Instagram.

Complex.com embedded a more comprehensive post by gossip account The Shade Room, from September 5th:

In the post, video of Samantha Lee speaking appeared in the first of three carousel videos or images; in the second was a screenshot of Tyrese commenting on the video.

In his typed response, Tyrese called his ex-wife a "gold digger," a "gaslighter," a "narcissist," and a "manipulator," and added:

You have been demanding $20,000 a month and refuse to let that s*** go ... One [sic] your own you make 150k a year out [sic] 4 year old has ALL that she needs ... Greed and dark entitlement issues ...

Tyrese also asserted that the marriage "was never [about] love," and "was just a transaction," claiming he went into the partnership with his "heart," and that Lee entered with her "hand" [out].

Gibson released a single in late August, "Love Transaction," about the divorce, the lyrics for which plainly reference Lee (and $20,000 in child support):

Dragging me in and out of court

Tryna take all that I've been working for

Can you justify what you say the baby needs?

Don't I make sure that she has everything?

Tristan Thompson Accused Of Not Paying $40,000 A Month In Child Support By Son's Aunt

Twenty thousand isn't child support

We both know just who that money's for

We've had our family ties and you went and cut me loose

And now the baby's wondering why we not under the same roof

Around the same time, Tyrese published an Instagram post objecting to a Yahoo! Entertainment article concerning the dispute.

On November 24th, Tyrese appeared on a lengthy episode of Joe Budden's podcast (Joe Budden TV).

In the YouTube description box, Budden mentioned discussions about the dissolution of Gibson's project TGT – as well as Tyrese's "plans for his new album, marriage & divorce, dealing with his past," and "more":

Hollywood Unlocked quoted Gibson's comments during his Joe Budden appearance, in particular, the $20,000 monthly sum referenced in his song "Love Transaction."

Gibson explained in part that prior to his split with Lee, the cost of lavishly providing for their daughter Soraya never approached $20,000 in a given month; he further asserted that his former wife seized custody of their daughter abruptly:

We never spent $20,000 on my daughter when we were together, and I had the money.

Who spends that kind of money on a kid? [Soraya] was 1 when [Samantha Lee] took my baby from me.

We never spent $20,000 a month on our child and the credit card was wide open.

So what the f*** do you suddenly need that kind of money for?

Tyrese's comments on Joe Budden's podcast appeared to initiate a new cycle of venting on Gibson's part, spread across several posts to Instagram.

On November 25th, Tyrese decreed that his appearance on Budden's podcast had "burned down the internet," alongside a clip featuring some of his child support related statements during the episode:

In the post's caption, Tyrese specifically complained about the judge assigned to the case, and again mentioned broader issues pertaining to fathers and family law.

Tyrese continued posting to Instagram about the segment, including a September 25th post (archived here) in which he reiterated much of what he said during and after appearing on Budden's show.

In that post, Tyrese told Samantha Lee to "run [him his] last name back," and accused his ex-wife of having "faked" the marriage to "get the BAG":

She wants to be famous, she wants the clout….. She had a whole baby and faked a whole marriage to get the BAG…….

Gibson mentioned his current girlfriend in the post, and one commenter said that "[his] girl should really be upset with how much [he] stay[s focused] on [his] ex, lord let it go."

Tyrese's child support dispute with Samantha Lee remained ongoing – in late November, TMZ reported that Gibson again filed documents seeking a new judge to litigate and settle the matter.

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