Some Dame Dash fans in Minnesota may have read about the producer and rapper’s child support disputes. In November, he was arrested for unpaid child support. Reportedly, he owed $950,000 to two different women. He has one child by each of them.
When he was released, he said he had paid his bill, but allegedly, the issue was not settled until December 3. Dash had filed a $5 million lawsuit against Lee Daniels, a director and producer to whom he had given more than $1 million as an investment in a film. The website TMZ reports that as part of the settlement, Daniels will pay $950,000 back to the two women in quarterly installments instead of to Dash.
TMZ also reported that Dash said he was broke. He allegedly claimed that he could not pay $2,400 that he owed in November because his income had been garnished. However, Dash denied the report and said TMZ had printed falsehoods about him for years.
Jail is one possibility for a parent who does not pay child support, but there are a number of other steps the legal system takes prior to that point to compel a parent to pay it, such as financial penalties or seizing licenses. The position of the legal system is that parents are obligated to support their children, but there is also recognition that a change in circumstances can mean a parent can no longer keep up with the amount ordered. Parents who have lost their job or had another situation occur that affects their income can ask the court for a modification in child support. Until this is granted, the parent will continue to owe the same amount and may fall into arrears, so people may not want to delay pursuing this.