Former NBA All-Star Jayson Williams is facing fresh legal trouble after three decades of run-ins with the law. His estranged wife and reality star, Tanya Young Williams, filed for divorce in New York following 17 years of legal limbo. She further alleged he owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid child support for their two children.
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According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the long-standing stalemate between the former New Jersey Nets center Jayson Williams and Basketball Wives LA star Tanya Young Williams took a decisive turn when Tanya officially submitted new divorce paperwork in New York on October 5.
Speaking to TMZ on the record regarding the filing, Tanya revealed that Williams allegedly failed to provide financial assistance for their two daughters, Tryumph and Whizdom, throughout his imprisonment from 2010 to 2012. While financial support temporarily resumed following a 2015 legal settlement, Tanya stated that payments ceased entirely after just two years, leaving the former basketball star “hundreds of thousands of dollars in arrears.”
Beyond the financial fallout, Tanya claimed that Williams has remained entirely absent from his daughters’ lives for years, ignoring their attempts to establish communication.
“Jayson has been absent from his daughters’ lives for years and refused to communicate with them despite their repeated attempts to reach out,” Tanya shared.
She also revealed that informal efforts to resolve the dispute with Williams’ legal team yielded no results. Left with no alternative, she turned to the judicial system to hold him “legally and financially accountable.”
The ongoing strain within the family previously came to light in 2022, when Williams’ daughters published an open letter condemning their father for his continued absence and lack of parental responsibility.
Jayson Williams has had run-ins with the law as early as 1992, two seasons into his NBA career. He officially retired from the NBA in 2000 (with a brief CBA stint in 2005).
Tanya initially stood beside Williams during his court trials. However, their marriage deteriorated amid escalating instability.
Williams’ legal team denied the claims at the time, accusing her of fabricating allegations to pressure him into a settlement. The divorce petition was ultimately left unfinalized for nearly two decades.
Williams ultimately served 18 months in New Jersey state prison, followed by an eight-month sentence at Rikers Island for a DWI conviction.
Upon his release from custody in April 2012, Williams expressed remorse through his management team, stating, “I am eager to see my daughters, my mother and siblings and make amends for what they’ve been through… Start my life over with God being first and in the center of everything I do.”
Williams, who played nine seasons in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets and once held a six-year, $86 million contract before a career-ending leg injury in 1999 (officially retiring in 2000). He now faces a major legal battle in New York court to address his substantial child support arrears.