Norma Gibson: Tyrese Gibson Once Confessed He Married His First Wife to Keep Her in the US

Norma Gibson was Tyrese Gibson's first wife and the mother of his first child. The pair had met in the early 2000s and had kept their romance and wedding very low-key. However, their marriage lasted less than a year, and their relationship publicly unraveled.

Tyrese Gibson is a well-known name in the entertainment industry, as the artist has reached many noteworthy milestones. Apart from being a successful RnB musician, Tyrese is also an actor with a recurring role in the "Fast and Furious" franchise.

He also appeared in films such as "Legion," "Death Race," and "Baby Boy." The singer-songwriter also added "author" to his titles, having written and published "How to Get Out of Your Own Way" and co-wrote "Manology."

Though his career speaks for itself in terms of success, Tyrese's personal life has been quite the rollercoaster. In 2015, his ex-wife, Norma Gibson, spoke to MadameNoire, accusing her ex-husband of physical and emotional abuse toward herself and their daughter, Shayla.

The former couple had divorced several years before and seemed to have a decent co-parenting relationship even after Norma's 2015 interview. However, things turned ugly and quickly escalated two years later when Norma filed for a domestic abuse restraining order against Tyrese.

Tyrese Gibson's Marriage to Norma Gibson Was Brief and Tumultuous

Norma was still a student in London when she and Tyrese met in 2002, though it's unknown what she was studying. Their relationship began that year, with Norma agreeing to move with her beau to Los Angeles shortly after.

They dated for five years, keeping their romance a secret, and tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in 2007. That same year, Norma gave birth to their first and only child, Shayla Gibson.

However, ten months later, the pair separated and subsequently filed for the dissolution of their marriage. In January 2009, Norma requested a modified custody agreement, child and spousal support, along with payment of attorney fees, which halted their divorce proceedings for some time.

Things seemed to be running smoothly as she and Tyrese co-parented the now-15-year-old Shayla, but they turned around for the worst when Norma opened up about the domestic abuse she suffered while married to the "Sweet Lady" singer.

In March 2015, Norma sat down with MadameNoire and spoke about how Tyrese was physically and emotionally abusive toward her and Shayla during their marriage. As she reflected on the experience, the mother of one said:

"Sometimes it’s so covert that you don’t know it’s happening until it’s happening."

Norma's decision to break her silence came after seeing another domestic violence incident involving professional footballer Ray Rice in 2014. She felt "irresponsible" for not helping uplift domestic abuse survivors' voices with her own story; hence, she initiated a women's empowerment campaign, "Because I'm A Woman."

Two years after her interview, she took legal action to protect herself and Shayla from Tyrese and was granted a temporary restraining order against the actor. Norma claimed Tyrese had been harassing her since 2014, paying someone to follow and watch her every move.

The temporary restraining order was filed in August 2017 and granted in September, a few months after Tyrese married his second wife. In a response statement released via People Magazine, he denied Norma's accusations, expressing his disappointment in her "shameful efforts" to "ruin" their co-parenting efforts.

As the court ordered Tyrese to remain 100 yards away from his ex-wife and their child, Norma also received temporary full custody of Shayla. Amidst the messy custody battle that followed, Tyrese talked about the real reason he married Norma, explaining:

"I married you to keep you in the country. I never married you because we were happily married. You're from London. I married you because we had a baby on the way and I had to do whatever I had to do so I'm not traveling all the way to London just to spend quality time with my baby."

Norma and Tyrese Gibson Were Involved in a Lengthy Legal Drama

After gaining temporary full custody of Shayla through her restraining order, Tyrese's first ex-wife sought a permanent restraining order against the artist. A messy custody battle – much like Brandi Padilla and Jaleel White with their former spouses – that later embroiled their daughter ensued.

The former lovers brought forward troubling accusations, with Norma telling the courts that Tyrese was physically abusive toward her while she still carried Shayla. She recounted another disturbing incident where the father of two was allegedly physically violent with the youngster.

Tyrese admitted to only striking Shayla's bottom once but denied the rest of her mother's claims. Others included Tyrese being reportedly diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, frequently getting into violent conflicts with others, and forcing Norma to keep quiet about him punching her; however, he denied those as well.

Regarding the harassment Norma claimed began in 2014, Tyrese confessed to hiring a private investigator when he suspected his ex-wife was dating a drug addict. Norma denied this claim. As the battle continued, in October, Tyrese flew a banner over Shayla's school, which read:

"No matter what, daddy loves you, Shayla."

Though the gesture may have been a well-intentioned act of fatherly affection, it wasn't received well by either Norma or her lawyer. The pair saw it as a violation of the temporary restraining order and filed it as such.

At the beginning of the following month, Tyrese posted a tearful video pleading with Norma not to take away his daughter. The case had taken a toll not only on his well-being, as he was hospitalized for anxiety and chest pains, but it also affected his career as he revealed that no one would hire him.

A few weeks later, the parents were awarded equal custody of Shayla. Still, it wasn't the end of their quarrels. In 2019, they argued in court over Shayla's extra-curricular activities. The youngster wished to participate in sports and a school play, and while her mom supported those desires, her dad refused.

Tyrese wanted Shayla to do better academically before engaging in any extra activities. However, Norma thought Shayla's academic performance was satisfactory, and the court seemed to side with her. Under its order, Shayla was allowed to enroll in her school's soccer team.

Norma also prioritized her daughter's emotional and mental well-being, ensuring that as the daughter of a celebrity, she understood the media scrutiny her family would often face. Norma advised Shayla to steer clear of the media attention.

Norma Gibson Keeps Her Private Life Away from Media Attention

Since her divorce and the extensive custody battle, it's unknown how Norma moved on with her life. Her ex-husband married Samantha Lee on Valentine's Day in 2017, but the pair separated in December 2020. They had welcomed a daughter, Soraya Lee Gibson.

Although their separation announcement was amicable, things turned sour during the divorce proceedings. Samantha claimed Tyrese had once locked her and Soraya in his home and cut her off financially. Tyrese denied the accusations and reportedly found her request for $20K in child support "unreasonably high."