“Elf” star Faizon Love was arrested on charges connected to a child support case after claiming he couldn’t pay $250,000 due to financial struggles.
The beloved actor, who was detained for an outstanding warrant, was taken to the Orient Road Jail in Tampa, Florida, on June 18, 2026, where he is being held without bond.
He claimed he couldn’t pay child support because he was broke, allegedly earning only $13,000 in the past five years.
Love, however, isn’t a stranger to legal issues and has been arrested and sued in the past for assault.
The “Friday” star’s run-in with the law, which started in 2017, comes after he became an adored comedian with more than 90 acting credits since the 1990s.
Page Six is breaking down Love’s career leading up to his legal run-ins.
Rise to stardom
Love’s decades-long career in the entertainment industry kick-started when he signed on as a comedian on the TV series “L.A. Friday” from 1988 to 1990.
In the early 1990s, he starred in several films, including the role of Big Worm in the 1995 F. Gary Gray movie “Friday,” starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker.
The actor was also a regular in the TV series “The Parent ‘Hood” as Wendell Wilcox from 1995 to 1998.
Big break
One of Love’s most beloved roles was as the overworked Gimbel store manager in the 2003 film “Elf” starring Will Ferrell and Zoey Deschanel.
In the Jon Favreau-directed Christmas movie, he works alongside Ferrell and Deschanel’s characters, Buddy and Jovie, to run a chaotic department store during the holiday season.
Additionally, Love played the role of Shane in the 2009 film “Couples Retreat.”
Other movie and show credits include “That’s So Raven,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Zookeeper” as Bruce the Bear and “Step Up: High Water.”
Love’s last role was as Vernon in the 2023 movie “The Last Stop in Yuma County.”
2017 assault arrest
Love was arrested for assaulting a John Glenn Columbus International Airport valet employee on March 7, 2017.
According to authorities, he was arguing with the 24-year-old employee in the baggage claim area before grabbing the latter by the neck and pushing him on the floor several times, per 10WBNS.
At the time, the “Prince of Detroit” star’s attorney explained that Love and the worker had a disagreement about the actor’s parking payment after he left his vehicle at the Ohio-based airport for months while traveling.
Love pleaded no contest, was fined $500, and sentenced to 180 days in jail.
2024 assault
In 2024, Love was accused of assaulting a San Diego Sheraton Hotel employee after learning there were no more vacancies.
According to a lawsuit obtained by Entertainment Weekly, Love allegedly became “agitated and aggressive” and “forcefully ripped the credit card reader off the counter and hurled it at” the female worker.
The employee claimed that Love broke her glasses and she “suffered pain, injury, and emotional distress, including a concussion and a visible bump behind her right ear.”
Per the filing, the San Diego Police Department responded to the scene and cited Love for battery.
2026 arrest
Love was arrested once again on June 16, 2026, after he allegedly violated a court order in Florida.
The “Bulletproof 2” star’s arrest was reportedly connected to his paternity case with a woman named Tiffany Lee, who alleged he owes her $250,000 in unpaid child support, per TMZ.
In court documents, he alleged that he didn’t have the funds to pay Lee, claiming that he’s only earned $13,000 in the past five years, with no earnings in the past year.
Love failed to attend a child support case court hearing in April 2026, claiming he had a medical emergency. He was later ordered to turn himself in to serve a 90-day sentence.
He appeared in court on June 19, 2026, wearing a red jumpsuit and using a wheelchair.
