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| Nas and ex-wife Kelis |
Most would agree that child support is a necessity more so than a burden. Being raised by a single mother, this writer concurs with that sentiment. But there are rare cases where this point of view could be challenged. Those rare cases are more prevalent in the entertainment industry, where the entertainers are on the hook for doling out large sums of money to their little offspring, ultimately padding the pockets of the custodial parent. Which begs the question: are females using their child support orders against their celebrity noncustodial counterparts as a cover-up to punish their wayward exes?
Let’s take a look at a couple of examples and you be the judge:
Rapper Nas was ordered by a court this week to pay ex-wife Kelis over $47,000 in back spousal and child support payments monthly. The musician was hit with a civil contempt charge by the court, but in May it was cleared, as his representative revealed he has paid $50,000 in child support during the period in question.
Kelis and Nas tied the knot in 2005. Kelis filed for divorce in May ’09. In a statement released earlier this month, Nas said, “All I want to do is make music and raise my kids. Nothing else matters,” which is more than likely the part that is fueling Kelis’ litigating fire.
A clearer example is Mashonda filing a lawsuit against Swizz Beatz. According to Mediatakeout.com, Alicia Keys and her boyfriend, Swizz Beatz, were having a child together. Two days later, Swizz’s ex, Mashonda, filed a lawsuit against him, claiming that he was late with making his court-ordered payments.
Beatz told the New York Post that his ex’s allegations that he owes $325,000 in equitable distribution and $9,000 in alimony and child support are “inaccurate” and “overblown.” He also said that he’s gone “above and beyond” to provide for her and their son, Kasseem Jr., 3.
Mashonda presents the situation as if Swizzy hasn’t been handling his duties as a father, right? Well, you have to take into account the $700,000 that Swizzy just recently put in her pockets. The 700 stacks is $500K more than he was obligated to pay her. Swizz’s lawyer made the following statement to the Post: “Swizz said he’d agreed to pay Mashonda more than the judge required and much more than his lawyer recommended. He even had to sign court papers acknowledging that he was going against his attorney’s advice.”
“I gave over what the judge was recommending to give. I gave her $700,000 up front, because I thought $200,000 wasn’t enough for what she wanted to do. I still get spit in my face for it,” Swizz added.
Details of the break up aside, it seems an honorable gesture for Swizzy to do. His actions show that there are still admirable African American fathers that are willing to shoulder their weight in supporting the children they conceive. On the other hand, it seems Mashonda only wanted revenge for something she is no longer permitted to indulge in … SWIZZY!
So, it get’s tricky when considering how much is too much, how much is not enough, and how much is just pure revenge on the part of the scorned woman. It’s natural to have lingering emotions after a break up, but it’s not OK to use the judicial system — or one’s children — to exact revenge for hurt feelings. Think about it. –ramone mack
