Akon is asking the court to split custody of his teenage daughter with his estranged wife Tomeka Thiam.
The singer, born Aliaune Badara Thiam, filed his response after Tomeka initiated divorce proceedings in September.
In his filing, Akon requests joint legal and physical custody of their 17-year-old daughter, Journey, and asks that the court deny Tomeka’s request for spousal support.
Tomeka previously sought sole legal custody and primary physical custody, with Akon receiving visitation. She also asked for spousal support and requested that the court deny any such support to the Smack That singer.
Akon and Thiam married in 1996. Her filing came just four days before what would have been their 29th wedding anniversary.
The musician has spoken publicly about fatherhood in the past, saying he’s present for all nine of his children.
“My job is to raise my kids to be responsible, to be understanding, and to protect their mother,” he said in a prior interview, admitting his schedule doesn’t always allow him to attend “holidays and recitals,” but he stays connected through frequent FaceTiming.
In a separate interview, Akon’s daughter Amirror said the singer’s wives live in different locations, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Africa.
“We all have different households, we all have different lifestyles,” she said. “We don’t have to see each other so we don’t have to be cool with each other… Akon is the type of man [where] it’s not manipulation, it’s just, if you f*** with it [or] you don’t. This is our culture… Every woman wants to be the only one, and it’s okay.”
