Does A Recent Divorce Filing Lend Credence to the Rumors That Akon is a Polygamist?

Akon rose to fame in the early 2000s as a hip-hop artist. Since then, he’s transitioned into a business role and has been working on several ambitious projects that are not yet fully realized. Since rising to fame, Akon has discussed everything from money management to his personal legacy. What he doesn’t openly discuss is his private life. For years, there have been rumors that Akon is a polygamist. He has neither confirmed nor denied those rumors, instead saying he likes to keep people guessing. A recent divorce filing, however, might lend some credence to that rumor.

Rumors that Akon is a polygamist have swirled for years

Akon has found himself back in the news, first over a faltering property development plan, then for his divorce. The singer and his longtime wife, Tomkea Thiam, are calling it quits. The divorce filing has reignited a longstanding rumor that Akon is a polygamist.

The rumor all began back in the early 2000s when the “Smack That” singer defended polygamy as part of his culture. Though he never said he was a polygamist directly, he noted that it is fairly common in Senegal, where he was born. In more recent years, Akon discussed his father’s decision to take multiple wives. Over the years, he has been linked to multiple women, but was only openly seen with Thiam.

Akon directly addressed the rumor in a 2022 interview with VladTV. When asked whether he has multiple wives, Akon laughed and said that he enjoyed the speculation. He said, “I like the fact that people are guessing now, I love it. I’m not confirming nor denying. You go online, you may see nine, you might see seven, you might see four. I love it, though.” The following year, a woman stepped forward to claim that she was one of Akon’s wives, though he never commented.

Fans think Tomeak Thiam’s divorce filing proves the hip-hop artist has multiple wives

While rumors that Akon is a polygamist have swirled for years, he is only legally married to one woman, though that won’t be the case soon. Tomeka Thiam, Akon’s wife of almost three decades, filed for divorce in September 2025. Thiam cited irreconcilable differences in the court filing and is seeking spousal support and custody of their one minor child. While there is no mention of other romantic partners, there is plenty of mention of other children. While Thiam identifies one daughter in her filing, Akon admits to having nine children, according to Billboard.

Akon has previously made it clear that he has multiple children by multiple women, though he refused for years to define his relationships with the children’s mothers, save for Thiam. Fans and critics believe the filing proves the “Lonely” singer is anything but lonely and has multiple wives. The number of children he has has grown over the years, though they don’t appear to have been born to Thiam. Still, he’s not talking. It’s possible Thiam might finally unveil the truth about her marriage to Akon at some point; rumor has it that the divorce could turn nasty as finances complicate the split.

So is Akon a polygamist? It seems possible and even likely. Still, he’s not going to confirm it. The mystery certainly seems to be part of his brand.