Rapper Nas was cleared of a civil contempt charge on Monday in connection with his divorce from Kelis. According to a statement from his spokesperson released on Wednesday,
“The contempt charges that were filed against Nas earlier this year in conjunction with his ongoing custody battle were thrown out yesterday by Judge David Cunningham III presiding over the case. Nas has paid all of the child support owed in full. His legal counsel today also settled on additional undisclosed financial terms, which included attorneys’ fees and spousal support.”
The contempt charges were dismissed after Nas paid nearly $50,000 in child support to estranged wife Kelis, The Associated Press reported.
An attorney for the “Milkshake” singer asked a judge to lodge the contempt charge earlier this year after her ex (born Nasir Jones) fell $200,000 behind on his spousal and child-support payments. In December, he was ordered to pay $51,000 a month to support Kelis and the couple’s infant son, Knight Jones.
Married in 2005, Nas, 36, and Kelis, 30, split in April 2009, just a few months after the birth of their son. Kelis filed for divorce last May, and they have been embroiled in a nasty court battle ever since.
In an earlier report, TMZ claimed that the contempt charges were thrown out by Judge Cunningham after the rapper ponied up $47,249 in child support, $40,454 in back alimony and vowed to pay off the $299,000 he still owes her in $10,000 monthly installments. Nas was also reportedly ordered to pick up the tab for more than $48,000 worth of Kelis’ accounting expenses and 90 percent of her legal fees, which were said to total $155,787. A spokesperson for Nas could not be reached at press time to confirm the figures reported by TMZ.
In announcing the settling of the latest contentious matter between the couple, Nas said in a statement,
“All I want to do is make music and raise my kids. Nothing else matters.”
Kelis released an EP called Acapella — The Remixes last week, and her album Flesh Tone is due out on July 6. Nas is preparing to drop his collaboration with Damian Marley, Distant Relatives, on May 18.