Tyrese Teases New Music About Samantha Lee Divorce: ‘Most Important Album I’ve Ever Done’

Tyrese Gibson is gearing up for the release of his first album in nearly a decade — and he can’t wait for fans to hear it.

“It is the most important album I've ever done in my career,” Gibson, 45, exclusively told Us Weekly at the 2024 BET Awards on Sunday, June 30, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. “It's about my divorce. And it's about discovering the beauty that I found in my pain. That's why it's called Beautiful Pain.”

The singer noted that fans can preorder Beautiful Pain — which drops August 30 — on tyrese.tv.

Gibson and Samantha Lee called it quits in December 2020 after nearly four years of marriage. The former couple share daughter Soraya, 5. (Gibson also shares daughter Shayla, 16, with ex-wife Norma Mitchell.)

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“We have decided to make a statement of a painful and significant development in our lives,” Gibson wrote via Instagram when announcing his and Lee’s split. “After much thought, consideration, and prayer, We unfortunately have made the difficult decision to officially separate & divorce. We feel incredibly blessed to have found each other and deeply grateful for the 4 years we have been married to each other.”

Earlier this year, the Fast and Furious actor claimed that his ex-girlfriend Zelie Timothy broke up with him because Beautiful Pain is so heavily focused on Lee.

“Me and Zelie just broke up over some dumb s–t,” he captioned an Instagram post in February. “She demanded that I cancel my ALBUM because there’s too many songs about my ex on there. F–k does that even mean?”

As he waits for the release of Beautiful Pain, Gibson was excited to attend the BET Awards, where Usher was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

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“I couldn't be more honored to be here to be a part of this very special night,” he told Us, adding that Usher, 45, was “long overdue to get his flowers.”

“I tell people that there's only so many actors, singers, rappers that I'm still a fan of — as if I don't have their number in my phone,” he continued. “I can text that brother and tell him, ‘You killed the Super Bowl.’ And he’ll hit me back with, ‘Thank you, means the world to me.’”

Gibson described the “U Remind Me” singer as a “good man” who has “reinvented himself,” adding, “Tonight, it’s long overdue.”

“Very grateful to be here,” he told Us. “BET is the culture. And they have been a voice for all of us singers, actors, rappers and entertainers, entrepreneurs.”

With reporting by Mariel Turner