Meet Tamika Fuller, Mom of Ludacris's Daughter Who Fought a Custody Battle over Their Child

"Fast and Furious" actor Chris Bridges, known professionally as Ludacris, was engaged in a custody battle with his baby's mother, Tamika Fuller, after the birth of his daughter, Cai Bella.

The custody battle, more accurately described as a custody war due to its longevity, lasted over a year. It ended with Ludacris winning full custody of their daughter, which left Fuller devastated. She penned an emotional essay detailing her ordeal and how she felt mistreated before, during, and after the case.

Fuller and Ludacris were friends before the pregnancy and had gone to the same high school, where she got pregnant with her first child, whose father is not publicly known. Although she is not a celebrity, she has quite a considerable following on Instagram, with over 16k followers. Many of her posts are of her and Cai.

Tamika Has Known Ludacris for Years

When Ludacris got Fuller pregnant, it was a big mistake as he had been in a relationship with his then-girlfriend and now-wife, Eudoxie Mbouguiengue, for about four years at that point. The rapper had to go into damage control mode to save his long-term relationship.

After the pregnancy story broke out, it was revealed that Fuller and Ludacris had known each other for years before they got a child together. The two reportedly went to high school together, and Fuller was said to be a former stripper.

Shortly after the birth of their child, they made the news as they battled over custody. Ludacris was also unprepared to pay too much child support beyond what he thought reasonable. However, Fuller felt that he was neglecting his duties as the father and sought to have the rapper pay more.

The courts settled the long-lasting custody battle in 2015 when the judge granted Cai's father full custody rights. He became responsible for making all the critical decisions in his daughter's life, including, but not limited to, religion, school, and doctors. Fuller could not post pictures of Cai on social media that Ludacris did not like.

After the ruling, Fuller wrote a touching essay that sought to tell her side of the story. She revealed Ludacris told her he had just become single when they began their sexual relations. Fuller soon fell pregnant, but Ludacris asked her to terminate the pregnancy upon telling him of it.

Fuller admitted that she considered abortion after Ludacris promised the world if she terminated the pregnancy. Still, after hearing her baby's heartbeat on the ultrasound, she decided to keep the baby. Hence, she was utterly surprised and brokenhearted when the court granted him full custody of a baby he did not want.

Cai Is Not Tamika's Only Daughter

Fuller's child with Ludacris was not her first child. She had her first child, a daughter named Leah, in senior high school.

During the custody hearing for Cai, Ludacris, through his lawyers, reportedly accused Fuller of abandoning Leah when she was born. They used that to demonstrate to the court that she was not fit to be a mother.

However, in her emotional essay after losing custody of her daughter, whom she carried for nine months, Fuller said their accusations were untrue. She had not abandoned her baby but put her in the care of her family, who helped her by raising Leah for several years while she found her feet.

She added that it was customary in many African American households and communities to help raise a child. The village mentality was immeasurable in giving Leah the support and love she needed. More so, Fuller noted that she had been a present mother for over a decade, and she and her eldest daughter were in a great place.