Tyrese said recently that he will be his soon to be ex’s “forever husband” while she is his “forever love”. However, more details are coming out in what was thought to be an “amicable” divorce between Tyrese Gibson and his estranged wife Samantha Lee. The pair made a joint announcement on his Instagram that they wouldn’t be continuing on in their life-long commitment to one another, and all seemed to be ok with them and their decision, but then again.. maybe not.
“Black families and marriages are under attack,” the Black and Blue actor captioned one of his Instagram videos post the joint divorce announcement before saying that this was not alluding to a forthcoming album, but rather his love for Samantha. “I’ve wrestled with this question… How can we naturally know how to BE something we were never raised by? 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?”
Gibson continued, praising his estranged wife for the better times they shared, which the video attempted to document. “My heart is so full because you’ve blessed me with 5 years of magic,” Tyrese added. “Samantha Gibson, I owe you everything. I am a better man of God, friend, and father because of you… I pray we leave the door open because the God that we serve is a mountains mover and can make a way out of no way.”
Coincidentally, Tyrese’s birthday happened to fall amidst the divorce announcement, which Samantha made sure to acknowledge on her social media. In her caption that accompanied a video of Tyrese with their daughter, she lifts her ex up and then thanks him for helping her to be the mother that she is today. “Thank you for going half on this angel with me, she is HANDS DOWN the best gift I’ve ever been given,” Samantha writes. “You saw a mother in me when I truly didn’t see it for myself- a true visionary. It’s been a hell of a year, but you’ve still managed to accomplish so much professionally despite all of it!… Soraya adores her Daddy Twin with her whole heart & we are hoping, praying, and wishing you the happiest of birthdays.”
Although everything sounds like things seem to be moving in a great direction for the ex-couple despite a split, it turns out that this wasn’t a recent decision, as Tyrese’s estranged wife, Samantha allegedly filed for divorce in September of 2020. The petition reportedly alleges that weeks prior to the filing, Tyrese cut his then-wife off financially and left her and their two-year-old daughter Soraya locked out of the family’s Georgia home. Because of this action, Samantha Lee is seeking $20,000 in child support, a figure that the entertainer is deeming unfair and “unreasonably high”.
TMZ reports that Tyrese’s reasoning for their split differs from hers. He made claims to the gossip blog that “when he flew home from a movie set in late August, Samantha confronted him … kicking off a tense, 3-hour conversation where she threatened to call cops.”
The two share custody of their 2 year old daughter Soraya.