Tomeka Thiam has filed for divorce from singer and producer Akon, ending a marriage that has lasted nearly 29 years.
According to court documents obtained by entertainment outlet TMZ, Thiam submitted the divorce petition in Los Angeles on September 11, 2025, just four days before their 29th wedding anniversary on September 15. The filing cites irreconcilable differences as the reason for the separation.
Thiam stated in the filing that the couple married on September 15, 1996 and share a 17-year-old daughter named Journey Thiam. She requested joint legal custody of Journey, with physical custody granted to her and visitation rights granted to Akon.
She is also seeking spousal support and has asked the court to deny any possibility of awarding spousal support to Akon.
Akon has spoken openly about his support for polygamy. In a 2022 interview on The Zeze Mills Show, he described polygamy as a cultural norm for him, stating:
“Polygamy is part of our culture. Absolutely… For me, it looks normal, because it’s a culture for us. We didn’t go outside of our African culture when we got to the Western world. See, the flaw that the Western world made is they created all these rules without putting nature into account.”
Akon has also said he prioritizes financial support over daily involvement in family routines. In the same interview, he explained:
“My job ain’t to be doing all that extra stuff and these holidays and recitals. While I’m taking care of my responsibility to make sure the family has a roof over their head and food, if I have the time to do that and show love, yes, I will do that. Communication allows me to be there every day. That’s what my FaceTime phone is for.”
The musician has previously acknowledged having nine children with three different women, and singer Amirror has publicly claimed that Akon has multiple wives living in different places.
Thiam has kept a low public profile over the years, and this filing marks her first major public action regarding their relationship.
The court has not yet scheduled the first hearing in the divorce case.
