"That was my first acting gig" - Tyrese reveals his late mother made him act like a special needs kid to get government money

Rapper and actor Tyrese Gibson revealed his late mother made him fake a learning disability as a child to get government cash. In his August 24, 2024, interview on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast, the Fast & Furious star explained that his mother made him engage in activities to contribute to the family's financial support at a very young age

Talking about fame and becoming successful, the 45-year-old told hosts King Gillie and Wallo that it felt like a "rental car" he had to give back. He added that he was still in "disbelief" and stated that he had never allowed himself to become "too familiar" with the fame.

"This all continue to be a big deal. My motherf**ing stomach was touching my back. Every form of public aid, WIC vouchers, county checks. My mama made us go to a social security building and play r*tarded," he said

He continued:

"$780 straight up in government cheese n*gga... that was my first acting gig..."

Gibson's mother, Priscilla Murray Gibson, raised him and his siblings (one brother and two sisters) as a single parent. They lived in the Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles.

Following his comment, Tyrese and Gillie laughed as Wallo quiped that Priscilla was the rapper-actor's first director, and she gave him his first movie gig.

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"You can't arrest my momma 'cause she gone" - Tyrese Gibson about his mother making him act like a special needs kid

Tyrese told Wallo and Gillie that he had never revealed his late mother's plans to anyone, adding:

"Hey you (referring to the government) cant arrest my momma 'cause she gone... we passed the window of opportunity."

Notably, the Sweet Lady crooner lost his mother in 2022 after being hospitalized with both COVID-19 and pneumonia.

Tyrese elaborated that the incident took place when he was just eight years old. Priscilla instructed him to provide hesitant or unclear responses when asked questions at the county building. At the time, she told her son they would get money if they followed her instructions, adding that they could use the money. The actor recalled her saying:

"Your mama can use this. You know, I'm here, we in the hood, I'm working and trying to keep up. Its four of ya'll.'".

When Gibson questioned his mom about what she meant by delaying his answers, Priscilla explained,

"I might ask you a question, ‘What color is the wall?’ I said, ‘White.’ She said, ‘Don’t do that.' She said, ‘If they ask you what color is the wall, act like you thinking about it.'"

Tyrese clarified that his mother didn't use any derogatory language. She just asked them to make the officials believe they had "some issues." She also told her children that they would give them some sort of assessment to evaluate their disability and asked them to purposely fail the test.

The Terminator actor added that he doesn't remember his sisters doing it, but he and his brother definitely did. At one point, Wallo questioned whether the government paid the money to the family as a whole or for each child. The How You Gonna Act Like That singer confirmed that it was the latter.

Tyrese has come a long way since then, boasting a successful career as a rapper and a Hollywood actor. According to Celebrity Net Worth he currently boasts a fortune of an estimated $4 million in 2024.