After nearly three decades together, global R&B star Akon and his wife, Tomeka Thiam, are officially heading for divorce. Court filings submitted on September 11, 2025, confirmed that Thiam is seeking to dissolve their marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.
The decision lands just days before what would have been the couple’s 29th wedding anniversary, signaling the end of one of the music industry’s longest-running unions.
In her petition, Thiam requested joint legal custody of their 17-year-old daughter, Journey, but asked for sole physical custody.
She is seeking spousal support from Akon and has also requested that the court bar him from receiving any support from her. Notably, the paperwork lists the date of separation as “to be determined,” an indication that the pair had not publicly declared when their marital relationship effectively ended.
Akon, born Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam, has long been candid about his unconventional views on marriage and family. He has repeatedly spoken about polygamy, describing it as a central aspect of his cultural identity. In a 2022 interview, he stressed that he did not leave his cultural traditions behind when he moved to the West, saying, “Polygamy is part of our culture. Absolutely.”
The singer has also fathered nine children with multiple women. While he often emphasizes his role as a provider, ensuring that his children have access to food, shelter, and protection, he has acknowledged that his presence at milestones such as birthdays or school events can be limited.
This admission has fueled debate over his interpretation of fatherhood, especially when public expectations of celebrity fathers often hinge on visible emotional involvement.
Thiam’s divorce petition places focus squarely on custody and financial stability. By asking for joint legal but sole physical custody of Journey, she expresses a desire for Akon to continue having a say in important decisions about their daughter’s education and well-being, while still establishing her home as the child’s primary residence.
Her request for spousal support reflects the couple’s long-standing partnership, in which Akon’s international career and business ventures have often placed him in the public eye while Thiam maintained a lower profile.
The petition also explicitly seeks to prevent Akon from obtaining support from her, a standard clause in cases where one partner’s financial capacity far outpaces the other’s. Given Akon’s considerable success in music, business, and philanthropy—including his Akon Lighting Africa project—the expectation is that he remains financially responsible.
For years, Akon’s marriage has attracted curiosity because of his stance on polygamy. Questions about how many wives or long-term partners he has had have often lingered without clear answers. While he sometimes addressed these speculations in interviews, he rarely offered concrete details, allowing the mystery to linger.