The “Fast and Furious” star Tyrese Gibson who called himself a ‘sucker for love’ couldn’t get enough of his entrepreneur and influencer girlfriend, Zelie Timothy. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE last October 2022, Gibson spoke about how their relationship had been the greatest gift and the ‘perfect storm.’
It Started with a DM
“I don’t remember exactly what my pickup line was, but I sent her a DM,” the actor said. He just remembered complimenting her, but whatever it was, it did some magic because it got the conversation going. Then, when they got the opportunity to talk on the phone, Gibson said that he was shocked by her sweet, soft-spoken energy.
The couple hasn’t shared details of how their love story unfolded. That said, they made their relationship public last March 2021 when they got spotted at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Atlanta. Fresh out of his painful divorce from Samantha Lee Gibson, fans were hopeful that the two were in it for a long time.
Sadly, six months into their romance, the couple called it quits.
Breaking Up… Twice
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In September 2021, Gibson and Timothy occupied the headlines after their break-up after conflicting statements. The couple shared the same video on their Instagram but with different captions: Gibson wrote that they ended on a ‘good note,’ but Timothy said something shady about getting disrespected.
According to sources, the actor was in Bulgaria at the time, shooting a film, and Timothy accompanied him. They speculated that things went sour between them during that trip.
The couple took to Instagram a month later to announce they got back together. Fans felt hoodwinked as it looked like the couple broke up just for clout. Timothy had been doing YouTube features of Gibson, and it was only probably meant to boost viewership for their first official video together. On top of that, both break-up posts had links to her YouTube page.
Of course, it wasn’t the last time they broke up.
In July 2022, Gibson announced they were no longer together. He shared a since-deleted particularly strong message about a snake and how he wanted to be released from the ‘strong devilish allure of a masterful manipulator.’ He added, “I am single now and want everyone to DM have fun with @zelietimothy. She’s verified now and wasn’t ready to be married.”
Two weeks later, Timothy spoke up about their split, saying they would go into therapy to fix their relationship. She also shared a long message for Gibson.
In the first part, she talked about their promises to each other and how she was sorry for what she did that made him choose to break his. The influencer then expressed sympathy for the actor, who had lost his mother to COVID-19 earlier that year.
Lastly, she expressed how important he was in her life, how much she loved him, and how she hoped the therapy sessions would help them rebuild their relationship.
“Yet, with you not being with me, I have realized that the absence of my person is even worse than that. After all this, you’ve made me know that hell is just earth without you,” Timothy said.
Gibson Opens Up About His Mental Health Struggles
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Tyrese Gibson opened up about his mental health struggles after a series of losses. He posted a photo of himself with his late co-star Paul Walker with a caption saying he needed more therapy.
He wrote that he still hadn’t gotten over losing Paul, his mom Priscilla, director John Singleton, and songwriter Lashawn Daniels. It had been painful processing the grief, and he had been unraveling.
Gibson also shared his divorce battle with ex-wife Samantha, which had been dragging on for almost two years, and that all he wanted was peace.
In the past, Gibson had been embroiled in abuse issues with his first wife, Norma, accusing him of beating up their daughter Shayla Somer. According to a report published by Yahoo, Norma also reported that three psychotherapists diagnosed the actor with bipolar disorder and manic behavior. There wasn’t any official confirmation of the diagnosis.
Weathering the Storm
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Gibson and Timothy returned together and enjoyed a beautiful vacation and photoshoot in Turks and Caicos last October 2022. The couple rescheduled the shoot many times due to conflicts and the weather. However, it finally happened, and when it did, it was perfect.
First, they got a horse – the only one in the entire Caribbean island – and it was an albino. Second, they thought it wouldn’t pursue as a storm came in, but their photographer told them they would be in an area that wouldn’t be affected by it, and it was!
Then in February 2023, Tyrese Gibson professed his love for his girlfriend with a special bouquet of red roses for The Jennifer Hudson Show Valentine’s special. “I still believe in love and romance,” he said. “Chivalry is not dead, not in my house.”
