California music fans may have heard that rapper DMX was taken into custody by the authorities on Oct. 27 after he was accused of failing to pay child support that was owed to his ex-wife. The report stated that the rapper was ordered to pay $10,000 per month for his four children in 2014.
The matter was heard in a Westchester County court the same afternoon. The 44-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Earl Simmons, stated that he was taking steps to try and settle his legal trouble. He argued that, because he was playing headlining shows, he could not hide from the court. He reportedly had a new management team that was working to set up events that could lead to more work, which would ultimately allow him to pay off his debts, including the back child support that he owed.
His ex-wife’s attorney reportedly asked that a bail be imposed on the rapper to help ensure that he would return to court on Nov. 18. While the judge appeared to consider it, he ultimately released the rapper without imposing a bail.
Although there are child custody guidelines in place, determining child support can be difficult. In most cases, both parents’ income, earning potential and pre-existing financial situations are taken into consideration. However, financial situations can change should a parent lose their job or even suffer a health emergency. If this happens and the parent can no longer make their child support payments each month, an attorney can file paperwork asking the judge to modify the existing child support order.
Source: USA Today, “Rapper DMX arrested for failure to pay child support“, Matt Coyne, Oct. 28, 2015