In her petition, Thiam requested joint legal custody of their daughter, but asked for primary physical custody, with visitation rights granted to Akon.

She is also seeking spousal support for herself and has asked the court to deny the singer’s request for any.

The divorce comes as Akon, 51, continues to publicly defend his views on polygamy, a practice he has long associated with his cultural background.

Recall, Akon while speaking on a show described polygamy as natural within his heritage, saying, “(Polygamy is) part of our culture. Absolutely. 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.”

Read Also: Nicki Minaj boasts about her achievements as beef with SZA escalates

Akon, who has acknowledged having nine children, has often spoken about balancing family responsibilities with his career. He admitted that while he ensures financial stability and support for his family, his presence at everyday events is limited.

“My job ain’t to be doing all that extra stuff and these holidays and recitals,” he said in the same 2022 interview. “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.”

Neither Akon nor Thiam has released an official statement since the filing.

Source: Punch