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Young Jeezy's Hurricane Help Complicates Child-Support Case

Ex-girlfriend says if rapper can support disaster victims, he can support their child.

Young Jeezy opened up his home last month to Hurricane Katrina victims, and now someone else is looking to him for support: the mother of his 9-year-old son.

The rapper told MTV News in mid-September he was giving shelter to more than a dozen displaced strangers in his Atlanta mansion because he wanted to help them rebuild their lives (see [article id="1509747"]"Young Jeezy Opens His Home To Gulf Coast Disaster Victims"[/article]). "I can only imagine what it was like to be there," he said at the time. "This is one of the times we've got to come together. They can stay as long as they need."

But just a few days later, Young Jeezy, whose real name is Jay Jenkins, claimed in a deposition that he did not own a mansion nor any home whatsoever, according to Jim Rockefeller, a lawyer representing his former girlfriend Tynesha Nicole Dykes. Jeezy said in a September 26 deposition, and again in court on September 27, that he had no income other than a $35 per diem and that he owned no assets, no home, no car and no jewelry -- despite his trademark iced-out Snowman pendant (see [article id="1510563"]"Young Jeezy Explains Symbolism Of The Snowman"[/article]) -- Rockefeller said.

"[Young Jeezy] is one of the fastest-rising hip-hop/rap performers, with over a million records in sales in the past year and a mansion in Atlanta," Rockefeller said. "He lives in high styles, tours the country, and is the close company of stars like Jay-Z and Beyoncé."

In contrast, Dykes lives in subsidized government housing and receives $178 a month in child support. She's currently contesting this in court, and a judge has since ordered that Young Jeezy cooperate with the discovery process and disclose his income. If he earns up to $75,000 a year, Rockefeller said, Dykes is entitled to 20 percent by Georgia law. Any income above that, and the judge would be free to determine how much she should receive. Rockefeller said his client only wants "a reasonable amount. She's not an opportunist. She is a loving mother who wants a decent lifestyle for her son."

The parties are due in court on Tuesday.

Young Jeezy's lawyer, Donald Woodard, declined to comment on the case, citing a policy of not speaking to the press about pending matters.

For more on Young Jeezy, check out the feature "Putting His Mouth Where His Money Is."

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