Tyrese Gibson has hit back after his estranged wife claimed he changed the locks at their Georgia home in her divorce petition.
The actor, 42, and his second wife Samantha Lee jointly announced on Tuesday they are amicably divorcing after over three years of marriage – but the couple had in fact split three months before this, reports TMZ.
In documents filed in September, she claims several weeks prior to the filing The Fast and Furious star locked her and the couple’s daughter Soraya, two, out of the family home and stopped financial support – which Tyrese denies.
Fury: Tyrese Gibson has hit back after his estranged wife claimed he changed the locks at their Georgia home in her divorce petition (pictured 2017)
He, in turn, has hit back at Samantha’s ‘unreasonably high’ demand for $20,000 per month in child support.
In the documents, Tyrese said the former couple split in late August when he flew home from a movie set and was confronted by Samantha.
He said they then had a ‘tense’ three hour conversation where she threatened to call the police on him.
Tyrese said he made the decision to leave the house in an Uber as he did not want to interact with police due to ‘multiple public incidents involving police brutality and racially motivated killings of unarmed African American people.’
Happier times: The actor, 42, and his second wife Samantha Lee jointly announced on Tuesday they are amicably divorcing after over three years of marriage – but the couple had in fact split three months before this, reports TMZ (pictured 2017)
Claim: In documents filed in September, she claims several weeks prior to the filing The Fast and Furious star locked her and the couple’s daughter Soraya, two, out of the family home and stopped financial support – which Tyrese denies
Mailonline has contacted Tyrese Gibson’s representatives for comment.
In his split announcement Tyrese pointed to ‘being raised in broken homes with with no example of what being a husband or father is’ as contributing to the demise of his second marriage and claimed ‘black families and marriages are under attack’,
Writing an impassioned Instagram post, he said: ‘Black families and marriages are under attack.
‘I’ve wrestled with this question. How can we naturally know how to BE something we never raised by?’
It’s over: In his split announcement Tyrese pointed to ‘being raised in broken homes with with no example of what being a husband or father is’ as contributing to the demise of his second marriage and claimed ‘black families and marriages are under attack’ (pictured in 2019)
Writing alongside a video montage of family memories with Samantha and their daughter Soraya, two, the singer turned actor continued:
‘Most of us were raised in broken homes with NO examples of what being a husband, wife or FATHER is.
‘I repeat. How can we naturally know how to BE something we were never raised by? I pray we leave the door open because the God that we serve is a mountains mover and can make a way out of now way.’
Tyrese said in a separate statement that he and Samantha, who he met in 2015, will ‘remain the best of friends and strong co-parents.’
‘We feel incredibly blessed to have found each other and deeply grateful for the [nearly] four years we have been married to each other.
‘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.’
Tyrese and Samantha added: ‘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.’
The LA-born, Atlanta-based star and the New Jersey-born social worker are now ironing out the custody details for their two-year-old daughter Soraya Rayas.
Friends: Tyrese said in a separate statement that he and Samantha, who he met in 2015, will ‘remain the best of friends and strong co-parents’ (pictured March 10)
In a follow-up comment on Samantha’s Instagram account, ‘King’ Gibson referred to himself as her ‘forever husband’ and called her his ‘forever love’ and his ‘boobie bubby.’
Among those commenting on the Legendary singer’s post was his Black and Blue castmate Naomie Harris, who wrote: ‘Sending my love and prayers to both of you.’
The star also has joint custody of 13-year-old daughter Shayla Somer from his two-year marriage to Norma Mitchell, which ended in 2009.
Amicable: The Gibsons – who met in 2015 – wrote in a statement: ‘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’
The Fast & Furious star and Samantha, who holds a Master’s degree in social work, secretly tied the knot on Valentine’s Day in 2017.
Samantha uses her degree to help fight sex and human trafficking, as well as campaigning to provide counselling for inmates, according to TMZ.
She has also reportedly handled cases for the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) in Georgia.
Sources close to the pair said at the time of their nuptials that they met after Tyrese posted an open letter to his ‘wife of the future’ in 2015, and were put in touch through mutual friends.
Support: Among those commenting on Tyrese’s post was his Black and Blue castmate Naomie Harris, who wrote: ‘Sending my love and prayers to both of you’
Along with his three older siblings Tyrese was raised by single mum Priscilla, a waitress, and has openly admitted that, as a child growing up in Watts, LA, money was scarce.
He previously explained how as a young boy he would ask shoppers at a local market if he could return their shopping carts in order to get the deposit. ‘I’d gather up quarters all day long,’ he said, ‘and bring the money back to my mama.’
When he was 14, Tyrese’s neighbour encouraged him to begin auditioning for school talent shows after hearing him sing, and he found a mentor in his high school music teacher Reggie Andrews, whom he calls ‘the father I never had’.
Father-of-two: The Legendary singer also has joint custody of 13-year-old daughter Shayla Somer (L) from his two-year marriage to Norma Mitchell, which ended in 2009