Akon’s wife, Tomeka Thiam, has filed for divorce, bringing an end to a marriage that began in 1996.
The filing, , came just four days before what would have been their 29th wedding anniversary.
According to court documents, Tomeka cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.
The couple share a 17-year-old daughter, Journey, and Tomeka is requesting joint legal custody while seeking sole physical custody.
Her petition also asks that Akon be granted visitation rights, as a show of her intention intention to preserve his role as a father while maintaining primary responsibility for their daughter’s upbringing.
On the financial side, she asked the court for spousal support, a standard request in long-term marriages, but she is also clear that Akon should not be entitled to any support from her.
The couple’s history stretches back to the early 1990s, when they met before Akon’s rise to international fame.
They married in 1996, and over the years, Akon publicly acknowledged having nine children with multiple partners, while Tomeka largely kept a low profile, focusing on her family and her ventures as a businesswoman and record label executive.
The timing of the filing, so close to their anniversary, suggests the decision was not made lightly.
While he’s dealing with divorce proceedings, Akon is also working on developing his controversial Akon City in his home country of Senegal.
The long-doomed project was reportedly called off over the summer, but Akon revealed in an interview with TMZ that there is a lot of “misinformation” about his project.
“Well, what I can tell you is the Akon City project is under attack,” he said. “The impact that it’s gonna do for Africa is kind of shaking up a lot of agendas, so you’re gonna see a lot of misinformation on the internet. I would advise that you know that it’s untrue. … It’s not gonna stop. It’s continuing.”