Tyrese Gibson

Early life

Gibson was born and raised in Watts, Los Angeles, California. His mother, Priscilla Murray Gibson ( Durham), raised him and his three older siblings as a single parent after his father, Tyrone Gibson, left. While growing up in Watts on 113th Street during the late 1980s, Gibson was exposed to gangs, with some of his childhood friends becoming members of the Crips. In his autobiography, Tyrese stated it was an older gangster named "Dirtbike Fred" that encouraged him to take a different path. He later graduated from Locke High School in 1996.

Music career

Beginnings

Gibson's career began when he auditioned for a Coca-Cola commercial at the suggestion of his high school music teacher. An appearance in a 1994 Coca-Cola advertisement, singing the phrase "Always Coca-Cola", led to bigger fame. It also led him to other appearances, such as for Guess and Tommy Hilfiger.

1998–1999: ''Tyrese''

Gibson was signed as an artist to RCA Records in 1998, releasing his debut single "Nobody Else". It quickly rose on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 36. On September 29, 1998, he released his self-titled album Tyrese at the age of 19. It debuted on the Billboard charts at No. 17. In late 1998, Gibson became the new host of the weekday music video show MTV Jams on MTV and a host and VJ for the channel. Afterwards, he released the second and highest-charting single "Sweet Lady" which became the album's biggest hit, reaching No. 9 on the R&B charts. The single earned Gibson a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Male Vocal Performance. Afterwards, he released the third single from the album "Lately". It made it to No. 56 on the Billboard charts. The album eventually went on to be certified Platinum. Gibson, along with singers Ginuwine, RL of Next, and Case, were featured on the soundtrack of The Best Man on the single "The Best Man I Can Be".

2000–2001: ''2000 Watts''

On May 22, 2001, Gibson released his second studio album 2000 Watts. The first single off the album was "I Like Them Girls", which reached No. 15 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The album went on to be certified Gold, selling over 500,000 copies. The third single off the album, "Just a Baby Boy", with Snoop Dogg and Mr. Tan, was featured on the soundtrack to the film Baby Boy, Gibson's first major acting role.

2002–2004: ''I Wanna Go There''

After RCA Records was disbanded, Gibson went on to sign to J Records, where he released his third studio album I Wanna Go There on December 10, 2002. His first single from the album and arguably his most successful single to date "How You Gonna Act Like That" debuted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at No. 7.

2005–2010: ''Alter Ego'' and hiatus

On December 12, 2006, Gibson released his fourth studio album, Alter Ego, his first double-disc album. It was also the first album in which he showcased his rapping persona. The first single off the album was "One" debuting on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at No. 26. The album itself is considered Gibson's lowest selling album to date. In 2007, Gibson, Ginuwine, and Tank founded TGT.

2011–2012: ''Open Invitation''

After taking time from music to focus on his family and acting career, Gibson returned to music in 2011, when he signed himself to EMI and released his fifth studio album Open Invitation on November 1. The album debuted on the US Billboard 200 albums chart at No. 9, sold 130,000 copies in its first week and has gone on to sell over 400,000 copies. It was preceded by the lead single "Stay" and peaked on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at No. 11. The second single "Too Easy" featured fellow actor, friend and rapper Ludacris. It peaked on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at No. 38. The third single "Nothing On You" peaked on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at No. 61. In 2013, the album earned Gibson his third Grammy nomination at the 2013 Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album.

2013–2017: TGT and ''Black Rose''

In early 2013, it was announced and confirmed after much speculation that Gibson, Ginuwine, and Tank would be releasing their debut collaboration album, to be distributed by Atlantic Records. In 2014, Gibson released the album Black Rose. A double album set was released in 2015. On July 10, 2015, Black Rose was released and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 77,000 copies, making it Gibson's first number one album of his career. It received positive reviews. However, his Fast & Furious co-star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson called it "the biggest piece of dogshit that I've ever heard".

2017–present: ''Beautiful Pain''

In October 2017, Gibson announced he was working on a project titled Identity Theft and returning to his alter-ego Black Ty. Identity Theft was supposed to focus more on his hip-hop roots, with Gibson predicting that it would "change hip-hop." The project however was shelved and retooled into an R&B album titled Beautiful Pain, rumored to be released in late 2023. A single titled "Don't Think You Ever Loved", which features Lenny Kravitz and background vocals by Le'Andria Johnson, was released in February 2023. A remix of the song (featuring 2 Chainz and Jeezy) leaked on YouTube later that month. "Love Transaction", a second single from the album, was released on August 25, 2023. When Gibson competed on season five of The Masked Singer, interim host Niecy Nash introduced his character as "Porcupine" only for Gibson to tell her that his character preferred to be called "Robopine".

Acting career

Gibson has a recurring role in two of the highest-grossing film series: Fast & Furious and Transformers. His first film role was in John Singleton's Baby Boy in 2001.

''Fast & Furious''

Gibson plays Roman Pearce in the Fast & Furious film series. He first played Pearce alongside his best friend, Paul Walker, in 2003's 2 Fast 2 Furious, his second collaboration with Singleton. He returned as Roman Pearce in Fast Five (2011), Fast & Furious 6 (2013), Furious 7 (2015), The Fate of the Furious (2017), F9 (2021) and Fast X (2023).

''Transformers''

Gibson portrays Sergeant Robert Epps in the Transformers film series. In 2007, with the cast of Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, Megan Fox, Anthony Anderson and Jon Voight, with star Shia LaBeouf, Transformers went on to make nearly $710 million worldwide. It was directed and co-produced by Michael Bay. Steven Spielberg served as the executive producer. Gibson reprised his role in the sequels Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011). Gibson was supposed to return as Epps in Transformers: The Last Knight (2017), but was unable to appear due to scheduling conflicts with The Fate of the Furious.

Other films

In 2005, Singleton and Gibson collaborated for the third time when Gibson co-starred in the action-crime drama Four Brothers alongside Mark Wahlberg.

Gibson went on to star in the action-drama Waist Deep with Meagan Good.

In 2008, he co-starred opposite Jason Statham in Death Race.

In March 2019, Gibson joined Jared Leto in Sony's Spider-Man spinoff Morbius.

Writing

In 2009, Gibson co-created a three-issue comic book titled Tyrese Gibson's MAYHEM! after being inspired from his visit to Comic Con.

On May 8, 2012, Gibson released his first book, titled How to Get Out of Your Own Way. It went on to be a New York Times bestseller. On February 5, 2013, Gibson co-authored his second book along with close personal friend Rev. Run titled Manology: Secrets of Your Man's Mind Revealed, which also went on to be a New York Times best seller.

Personal life

Gibson is a Christian. He was married to Norma Mitchell from 2007 to 2009, and the couple had one child, a daughter, born in 2007.

In January 2017, Gibson purchased a $4 million home in Atlanta, Georgia. He married Samantha Lee on February 14, 2017. Their daughter was born on October 1, 2018. In December 2020, Gibson and Lee announced they were divorcing. In 2022, the pair were declared legally single. Gibson began dating his girlfriend Zelie Timothy in 2021, and stated he plans to marry her when his divorce from Lee is finalized.

Legal issues

On September 9, 2024, Gibson was arrested following an appearance in Fulton County Court where he was issued a contempt charge after it was found that he was failing to pay child support to Lee. Gibson was ordered to remain in custody until he paid Lee $73,500. Gibson was released after paying the child support. He plans to appeal the contempt order.

On October 1, 2025, it was revealed that an arrest warrant had been issued for Gibson since September 22, 2025 on cruelty to animals charge. The arrest warrant stemmed from an incident on September 18, 2025 which involved his four cane corso dogs killing a neighbor's dog after these dogs were able to run wild throughout his Atlanta neighborhood. The neighbor whose spaniel was killed was also acknowledged to be living a half-a-mile away from Gibson.

Discography

Main article: Tyrese discography

;Solo albums

• Tyrese (1998)
• 2000 Watts (2001)
• I Wanna Go There (2002)
• Alter Ego (2006)
• Open Invitation (2011)
• Black Rose (2015)
• Beautiful Pain (2024; reissued in 2025 as Painfully Beautiful)

;Collaborative albums

• Three Kings (with TGT) (2013)

Filmography

Film

Television

Other media

Awards and nominations

;American Music Awards |- | 2000 | Tyrese Gibson | Favorite New R&B/Soul Artist | |}

;Black Movie Awards |- | 2006 | Waist Deep | Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | |}

;Black Reel Awards |- | "Just a Baby Boy" (with Mr. Tan and Snoop Dogg) | Best Song | |- | Baby Boy | Best Actor | |- | 2006 | Four Brothers | Best Ensemble | |}

;Grammy Awards |- | 2000 | "Sweet Lady" | |- | 2004 | "How U Gonna Act Like That" | |- | 2013 | Open Invitation | |- | 2014 | Three Kings with Ginuwine and Tank as TGT | |- | Best Traditional R&B Performance | |- | Best R&B Song | |}

;NAACP Image Awards |- | 2002 | 2000 Watts | Outstanding Hip-Hop Artist | |- | 2002 | Baby Boy | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | |- | 2002 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | Outstanding Performance in a Variety Show | |- | 2012 | Trumpet Awards | Pinnacle Award | |}

;Locarno International Film Festival |- | 2001 | Baby Boy for 'its innovative concept and ensemble acting' | Special Mention Award |}

;Soul Train Music Awards |- | 2013 | "TGT" with Ginuwine and Tank | New Artist of the Year | |- | 2012 | "Stay" | Song of the Year | |}

References

References

1. "Tyrese Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More".
2. "The Birth of Tyrese Gibson".
3. "Tyrese Gibson Biography". [[TV Guide.
4. Ramirez, Rauly. (August 29, 2013). "TGT's 'Three Kings' Debuts at No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart".
5. (September 29, 2011). "Actor, author brian urges students to build on ideas". [[University of Delaware]].
6. Meadows-Ingram, Benjamin. (September 25, 2011). "Backbeat: Tyrese Plays New Album 'Open Invitation' At Virgin's NYC Offices".
7. Kennedy, Erica. (July 2001). "Do Right Man". Vibe Media Group.
8. (September 4, 2003). "R&B Sensation Tyrese". [[NPR]].
9. (December 9, 2016). "Tyrese Gibson: Paths of Transformation".
10. "BallerStatus". Tyrese: Waist Deep.
11. Hay, Carla. (January 23, 1999). "RCA's Tyrese Finds 'Sweet' Success".
12. [{{BillboardURLbyName. Billboard]]''. Retrieved on October 7, 2011.
13. "TGT (Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank) Sign To Atlantic Records". Vibe.
14. "New Music: TGT (Tyrese, Ginuwine, Tank) – 'Sex Never Felt Better'". Rap-Up.
15. (April 10, 2013). "Tyrese Documentary "A Black Rose That Grew Through Concrete" Full Stream Release – Rap Basement". Rap Basement.
16. "Tyrese Scores His First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart".
17. "The Rock Talking S**t About 'Black Rose' Has People Reminding Tyrese He Can't Beat A WWE Superstar".
18. (October 11, 2017). "Tyrese Gibson Posts Video of The Rock Dissing Black Rose Album - E! Online".
19. (October 17, 2017). "Tyrese Is Working on a Rap Album That He Says Will 'Change Hip-Hop'".
20. (February 25, 2023). "Tyrese Gets Vulnerable on New Song 'Don't Think You Ever Loved Me'".
21. (March 23, 2015). "Tyrese Talks Real Life Connection to First Acting Role in 'Baby Boy'".
22. (June 26, 2014). "Top Five Highest Paid Stars in the Fast and the Furious Franchise".
23. (January 4, 2014). "'Fast & Furious' actor Tyrese Gibson missing 'best friend' Paul Walker".
24. (March 30, 2015). "Interview: Tyrese Gibson on His Fourth Turn as Roman in Furious 7".
25. "Tyrese Gibson - News".
26. (June 15, 2007). "Transformers: The Cast, The History, The Movie".
27. (June 26, 2009). "Exclusive Interview: Tyrese Talks Transformers".
28. (July 5, 2011). "Tyrese Gibson Talks TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, FAST FIVE and FAST SIX, Music, Twitter, His Book, More".
29. Willis, Jackie. (June 27, 2016). "EXCLUSIVE: Tyrese Gibson Confirms He's Shooting 'Transformers 5,' Says He Feels Paul Walker's 'Energy' on 'Fast 8' Set". [[Entertainment Tonight]].
30. Dosani, Rishma. (June 19, 2017). "Tyrese Gibson exclusively admits he was 'p****d' to miss out on filming Transformers: The Last Knight alongside original co-star Josh Duhamel".
31. (August 2005). "Four Brothers: An Interview with Mark Wahlberg and Tyrese Gibson".
32. (July 26, 2005). "Four Brothers - Interview with Mark Wahlberg and Tyrese Gibson".
33. "Waist Deep".
34. (June 23, 2006). "Game, Tyrese Swap Rapping, Acting Tips On 'Waist Deep' Set".
35. (August 18, 2008). "Death Race: An Interview with Tyrese Gibson".
36. (August 25, 2008). "Tyrese Gibson plays gay bad-ass in "Death Race"… or does he?".
37. Kroll, Justin. (March 5, 2019). "Tyrese Gibson Joins Jared Leto in Marvel Spinoff 'Morbius' (EXCLUSIVE)". [[Variety (magazine).
38. Kit, Borys. (March 5, 2019). "Tyrese Gibson in Talks to Join Jared Leto in Spider-Man Spinoff 'Morbius'". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
39. Gibson, Tyrese. (March 11, 2019). "When you sign the deal........ "God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth" - Matthew 5:5 ► - 3 picture #Marvel deal.... #Morbius #Humbled #Grateful been praying for a breakthrough had no idea that it was going to come on this level.... Thank you Jesus! #Amen #LondonUK". [[Instagram]].
40. TYRESE. (March 27, 2011). "Tyrese's World". tyresesworld.blogspot.com.
41. (January 30, 2013). "'Manology' unlocks secrets of your man's mind". USA Today.
42. (February 5, 2013). "Manology: Tyrese, Rev Run Divulge 'Secrets Of Your Man's Mind' In New Book (VIDEO, EXCERPT)". The Huffington Post.
43. "Tyrese - Black Rose". tyreseonline.com.
44. (2022-02-17). "'Jesus... Open the Doors of the Heavens': Actor Tyrese Gibson's Heartbreaking Tribute After His Mom's Tragic Death".
45. (2022-02-15). "Tyrese asks Jesus to 'open doors of Heaven' after mother dies on Valentine's Day".
46. (October 25, 2017). "Tyrese Gibson Admits to Flying Banner Over Daughter's School Despite Restraining Order".
47. (August 7, 2007). "Update: Singer Tyrese and fiancée welcome a daughter".
48. (December 20, 2017). "Photos Surface of $4M Home Tyrese Bought Just Before Claiming "Broke"..Sparks Legal Questions".
49. (March 2, 2017). "Tyrese's New Wife Has Master's Degree, Makes Six Figures". [[TMZ.com]].
50. Gibson, Tyrese. (March 2, 2017). "TMZ actually got it right! This time!". Tyrese Gibson verified [[Instagram]] account.
51. (October 2, 2018). "Tyrese Gibson's Wife Samantha Lee Gibson Gives Birth to a Baby Girl".
52. France, Lisa Respers. (December 30, 2020). "Tyrese Gibson and Wife Samantha Are Divorcing". CNN.
53. Caldwell, Kayla. (September 9, 2024). "Controversial 'Fast and the Furious' Actor Reportedly Arrested In Court After Predicting He Would Be". Newsweek.
54. (January 2, 2025). "Tyrese Says He Has To Do This One Thing Before He Gets Married To Zelie Timothy". Hot New Hip Hop.
55. (September 10, 2024). "Tyrese Gibson Arrested After Refusing to Send Child Support to Ex, Ordered to Pay $73,500 to Avoid Jail Time: Judge". People.
56. Jones, J.. (September 9, 2024). "Tyrese Walks Free and Demands Judge's Removal After Explosive $74K Child Support Showdown with Ex-Wife Lands Him Behind Bars". Atlanta Black Star.
57. (October 1, 2025). "Warrant issued for actor Tyrese Gibson's arrest after his dogs allegedly killed neighbor's pet". NBC News.
58. Luna, Itzel. (October 1, 2025). "Tyrese Gibson failed to turn himself in following arrest warrant for cruelty to animals, police say". Associated Press.
59. Luna, Itzel. (October 3, 2025). "Tyrese Gibson booked into Georgia jail and released on bond following cruelty to animal charge". Associated Press.
60. (October 3, 2025). "Warrant issued for actor Tyrese Gibson's arrest after his dogs allegedly killed neighbor's pet". NBC News.
61. Luplani, Joyce. (October 3, 2025). "Actor Tyrese Gibson arrested in Fulton County for cruelty to animals". Fox 5 Atlanta.
62. (2022-07-12). "Every Fast & Furious Character Confirmed To Return In Fast X".
63. (August 2024). "VIFF 2024 Program".
64. Vlessing, Etan. (March 14, 2022). "Tyrese Gibson Joins Harvey Keitel in 'Hard Matter' Thriller (Exclusive)".