Akon’s Wife Files for Divorce Days Before 29th Wedding Anniversary

Akon’s wife has filed for divorce from the musician, just four days before what would have been their 29th wedding anniversary.

Tomeka Thaim filed for divorce from the star on Thursday, Sept. 11, citing irreconcilable differences, according to the filing, which was obtained by PEOPLE. She listed their date of separation as “TBD,” and said they shared one child, 17-year-old daughter Journey.

Thaim requested joint legal custody of Journey, and requested she have physical custody of the teen and Akon, 52, get visitation. She also requested spousal support, and asked the court not to award the “Smack That” singer any spousal support.

Akon has previously said he believes in polygamy, and in a 2022 interview on The Zeze Mills Show, revealed that he has nine children. Musician Amirror alleged in 2023 that she was one of the star’s four wives.

“[Polygamy is] part of our culture. Absolutely,” Akon said on Zeze Millz. “For me, it looks normal, because it’s 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.”

The “Don’t Matter” singer said he was “there for” all nine of his children, and that he considered it his job “to raise my kids to be responsible, to be understanding” and to “protect their mother.”

“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,” he said. “Communication allows me to be there every day. That’s what my FaceTime phone is for.”

Akon also said that he considers both marriage and dating to be “real relationship[s].”

In Amirror’s interview with Rie Wit the Tea, she said Akon’s wives are spread out, including in 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.”