Actor Tyrese Gibson has revealed on the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast that his late mother made him pretend to have “special needs” as a child to collect government benefits.
The “Fast & Furious” star opened up about the difficult period in his life during a conversation with hosts King Gillie and Wallace “Wallo267” Peeples.
“My mama used to make us go to the social security building and play re**,” Gibson, 45, told Gillie and Peeples as they both broke out laughing. “$780 straight up, government cheese n**,” he added.
RELATED STORIES
During the podcast, the hosts joked that pretending to have “special needs” was Gibson’s “first acting gig,” with his mother, Priscilla Gibson, as his “first director.”
Gibson replied: “My mama put me on!” He admitted that he never shared this about his mother publicly until then.
“Aye, you can’t arrest my mama n**, she gone – f*** outta here, the government.
“We passed the window of opportunity,” the Baby Boy actor added.
He explained that his mother instructed him and his brother to act as though they had “special needs” so she could receive government benefits to support them as a working single mother.
“It was $762 a piece,” Gibson said, adding that Priscilla would tell them to “delay ya’ll answers,” and to “purposely act” like they couldn’t pass tests.
“And I’m smart, at eight-years-old I was sharp – I’ve always been a A student. I’m a hood n** but I’ve always been a communicator, and always been smart,” Gibson said.
He admitted that although he has “behavioral problems” and was the “class clown,” he was never a “dummy.”
He recounted an incident from his childhood where a government worker, whom he described as a white woman, treated him as if he were “slow” while testing him by placing a puzzle in front of him.
“You’re like I gotta get this money for mama,” Peeples said.
Gibson recalled that, with his mother by his side, he followed her instructions and pretended not to know how to complete a puzzle during the government assessment.
Podcast host Gillie joked that his mother recognized his early acting talent.
He noted that, unlike him and his brother, he doesn’t recall his two sisters being involved in the scheme.
“Yeah, she knew you had a little acting in you,” Giles told him as Gibson said he never remembered his two sisters doing the same.
“I don’t think that the social security building would’ve been able to believe that four of ya’ll n*** f**** up,” Gibson said as he broke out in laughter. “So we could get away with two.”
Priscilla passed away in February 2022 after battling COVID-19 and pneumonia, according to Daily Mail. Gibson had shared regular updates on her health at the time, calling her his “sweet valentine.”
Following his mother’s passing, Gibson shared an Instagram video of himself holding her hand in the hospital, accompanied by a heartfelt tribute to her memory.
“Rest in peace. You fought, mom, you fought. Oh my God I’m so sorry this happened mom. I’m gonna hold your hand for the rest of my life, OK,” Gibson said in the video through tears.
“Everywhere I go, I’m gonna hold your hand, the way you held my hand when I was a kid. Every journey this life takes me to from here on, you’re gonna hold my hand mom, OK?” he said as the video ended.
He added in the caption, “On behalf of my family and everyone who ever spent anytime praying for my mother This is the saddest moment of my life………. My sweet Valentine just passed away.”
