Tyrese Gibson was arrested Friday in Fulton County after his Cane Corso mastiffs killed a neighbor’s dog in a deadly encounter that has now led to animal cruelty charges.
The 45-year-old actor and R&B singer was booked at 5:59 A.M. local time and released shortly after posting a $20,000 bond, according to county jail records.
The charges stem from a September 18 incident in which Gibson’s dogs attacked and killed a 5-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Henry in the smaller dog’s own backyard.
Surveillance footage captured Gibson’s four large dogs roaming the neighborhood and pawing at a neighbor’s door just before the fatal attack. Henry’s owner discovered the dog’s body late that night, drenched in saliva.
The owner said Gibson’s dogs had a history of wandering the area without leashes.
Fulton County Animal Services Captain Nicole Dwyer confirmed there had been five separate complaints about Gibson’s dogs in the 10 days leading up to the incident.
“It is the negligence on his part as the homeowner and animal owner, just letting them roam free,” Dwyer said. “And now they have killed an innocent animal.”
Gibson initially agreed to surrender the dogs on September 22, but when the officers arrived, he requested more time. Police warned they would obtain a search warrant if he did not comply. When they returned, neither Gibson nor the dogs were at the home.
Through his representatives, Gibson denied avoiding authorities. AllHipHop reported that Gibson claimed he was in Los Angeles with his family and legal team.
“Tyrese wants everyone to know he is not on the run,” his representative said. “He says he’s in LA with his family and his attorneys are working to figure this all out.”
His legal team issued a statement expressing sympathy for the loss.
“Mr. Tyrese Gibson wishes to extend his deepest condolences to the family who lost their beloved dog in this tragic incident,” the statement read. “His heart is truly broken, and he has been praying for the family constantly, hoping they may one day find it in their hearts to forgive him.”
Though Gibson was reportedly out of town when the attack occurred, his attorneys said he took full responsibility.
“As soon as he learned what had happened, he immediately made the incredibly difficult decision to rehome his two adult dogs and their three puppies in safe and loving homes,” the statement continued. “The liability of keeping them was simply too great, and his heart could not bear the thought of anything like this ever happening again.”
This case adds to a string of legal issues for Gibson. In September 2024, he was briefly jailed for failing to pay more than $73,000 in child support to his ex-wife, Samantha Lee Gibson.
A Fulton County judge found him in contempt of court, and he was released after agreeing to settle the overdue payments.
Gibson is also battling nearly $500,000 in unpaid legal fees from his divorce, according to court filings from his ex-wife’s legal team.
The “Fast & Furious” star, who first gained recognition as an R&B artist in the late 1990s, has faced ongoing financial and legal troubles since his 2020 split from Lee Gibson. The two share a young daughter.
The animal cruelty case remains open in Fulton County. A court date has not been announced yet.
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