On the heels of Chris Rock taking a dig at his ex-wife, Malaak Compton-Rock, in his new Netflix standup comedy special, “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage,” singer/actor Tyrese Gibson went to the radio airwaves to talk about separation from wife Samantha Lee, his career, mental health, child custody battles, public missteps, and his new music collection, “Beautiful Pain.”
Chris Rock said, “Women have all of the power. My ex-wife is the smartest woman I know. She has just as much money as me, ain’t funny at all,” Rock said during the special. “Ain’t nothing more powerful than female beauty.”
On March 7 on “Sway’s Universe,” Tyrese talked about being the first in his family to make it out of the ’hood, being the first millionaire in his family, and about his career successes.
“I got $10 billion in box office receipts on my name,” he said.
He also dished on his separation and his lingering feelings of regret.
The six-time Grammy nominee recalled how his ex would drop off his child for a visit but it would seem like she was unemotional about visiting her old home.
He said he’d watch her from his home office window.
“I would stand behind the curtain and look,” he shared. “Everything about her energy was like she had disassociated herself. … We got married in this house, we made this baby in this house in. … How the f*** could you pull up to this house with so many emotional and sentimental moments that we shared … and you dropping the baby off like it’s f***ing day care.”
He continued, “I would be looking out saying, ‘Give me something, look up at the house.’” But that look of loss from Samantha never happened.
The Divorce
The split was far from drama-free. Tyrese complained on social media numerous times about his money taking a hit by the breakup. “Fast & the Furious” franchise star is worth an estimated $6 million.
In August 2022, Tyrese was ordered to pay estranged wife $10,690 per month in child support for their 3-year-old daughter, Soraya Lee. Samantha had requested $20,000 in child support.
Tyrese, 44, must also maintain a life insurance plan of $1.9 million with Soraya as the beneficiary and Lee as the trustee. The former couple must split 50/50 any childcare or school and maintain health insurance.
He and Samantha were married 2017; she filed for divorce in 2020. The divorce is still ongoing.
It was a second marriage for Tyrese, who was married to Norma Mitchell from 2007 to 2009.
