Tyrese’s Social Media Meltdown And Legal Battles, Explained
Over the past few months, Tyrese Gibson has posted emotional, often bizarre missives to social media detailing his legal battles with his ex-wife over their 10-year-old daughter.
Days after the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services closed a child abuse investigation involving the singer-actor, he continues to confuse fans with intimate social media posts.
On Monday, the R&B singer, also known for his roles in “Baby Boy” and the “Fast and Furious” franchise, claimed in an Instagram post that Will and Jada Pinkett Smith had given him $5 million to help with legal fees. The irony, as many social media users pointed out, is that in his caption Tyrese pledged to “get off and stay off the Internet now that my daughters legal fees will be paid!” (He has published seven Instagram posts since.
A spokesman for the DCFS public affairs office, citing confidentiality rules, declined to comment on whether the agency has investigated Tyrese or his family.
Child abuse allegations
In September, People reported that Tyrese’s ex-wife, Norma Mitchell Gibson, had been granted temporary legal custody and a temporary restraining order after accusing the singer-actor of abusing their daughter, Shayla, in an August incident. According to the magazine, Mitchell Gibson alleged in court documents that Tyrese “pushed our daughter to the ground, pinned her face down, put his knees on her back, grabbed her hands with one arm and beat her with the other.”
People also reported that Mitchell Gibson alleged that Tyrese hit Shayla “between 12 and 16 times,” and that the child reported being unable to sit down because of the pain.
Tyrese denied the allegations, telling People in a statement that he was “disappointed to learn that the mother of my daughter has made gross and false accusations against my character in a shameful attempt to ruin our co-parenting efforts.”
Tyrese also addressed his ex in an Instagram post. “I’m sorry I got re-married, I’m sorry we didn’t work out,” he wrote. “Sometimes you get married and have kids and things just don’t work out, but I have NEVER wished harm on you…I see the attacks just won’t stop so I believe this too will pass and God and the courts will reveal the truth.”
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SEPTEMBER 13″ he wrote on Instagram
Alleged restraining order violation
Last month, the Blast reported that Gibson hired a plane to fly a banner that read “No matter what, Daddy loves you Shayla” over his daughter’s school. In an Instagram post filled with photos of him and Shayla, Gibson acknowledged that he had commissioned the banner and said he “wanted the banner to be longer but it’s [sic] was too expensive.” Mitchell Gibson’s lawyer, Aleen Laura Khanjian, told People in a statement that the banner was “a complete violation of the restraining order” and “a reflection of Mr. Gibson’s erratic state of mind.”
“Simply put, he doesn’t respect boundaries,” the statement continued. “If he did, this restraining order would not have been necessary. At the end of the day, we simply want him to get the help he needs so that he can become a stable, solid and secure presence in his daughter’s life.”
Health issues and emotional pleas
In late October, TMZ reported that Tyrese had checked himself into a Los Angeles hospital for chest pains following a court appearance. In an interview outside the hospital, Tyrese told the site that he was checked out for anxiety. “Guys, please don’t make this about me. This is about my daughter,” he said. “This could compromise my case.”
Last week, Tyrese cried in a video posted to Facebook. “Don’t take my baby, please don’t take my baby” he said sobbing, while wearing a “Shayla Rocks” hoodie. “This is all I got.”
Tyrese thanks his wife, Samantha Lee Gibson, for her support
On Saturday, Tyrese again took to Instagram to thank his wife, Samantha Lee Gibson, for supporting him through his legal battles. “When your 1st charge get dropped your wife’s mind will finally REST!!!!!,” he wrote next to a photo of his sleeping wife. “when you wake up I’m sorry Baby I’m so sorry for posting this,” he added. He also posted a photo of the couple praying together.
On Monday, he dedicated a poem by Matt Baker to his wife, whom he married earlier this year. “God ! love you,” he wrote. “let’s get married again.”
Amid his legal battles, Tyrese has also continually lashed out against his “Fast and Furious” co-star in social media posts. After Universal Pictures announcedthat the popular franchise’s ninth installment would hit theaters a year later than expected, Tyrese publicly blamed Johnson for the delay. “Congratulations to @TheRock…for making the fast and furious franchise about YOU,” he wrote on Instagram.
But the relationship between the co-stars may be on the mend. On Friday, Tyrese posted a photo of him, Johnson and Vin Diesel, noting that he had “a real Heart to Heart with one of Dewayne’s [sic] associates and this will be my last post about him.”
“My story will never change I was never DJ’s Co-Star,” he added. “I’m Shayla’s Father first.”
