Sean Kingston got arrested in San Bernardino County just hours after his mom was taken into custody during a SWAT raid at their Florida home. He’s been using his name and celebrity status to scam people out of products and services without paying for them. Back in September 2021, we posted a video called ‘The Shady Side of Sean Kingston,’ using our original, more polished format. Now that Sean’s in trouble again, we thought it was time for an update.
We’ll go over the alleged scams Sean and his family have been involved in, plus we’ve got even more info on the antics that led to his mom getting caught up. With all this craziness, it’s no surprise Sean’s found himself in hot water again.
Kisean Paul Anderson, who we all know as Sean Kingston, was born on February 13, 1990, in Miami, Florida. Growing up with his mom, Jenice Turner, and two siblings, Sean’s early years were a mix of challenges and opportunities. When he was around five or six, the family moved to Kingston, Jamaica, where Sean got to bond with his grandfather, the legendary Jamaican producer Jack Ruby, known for his work with Bob Marley and Burning Spear. He also claimed to be the nephew of the iconic Dancehall artist Buju Banton.
A few years later, the family returned to the United States. According to the Miami New Times, Sean had a tough time adjusting, often getting into fights and being expelled from school. Desperate to help him, his mother sent him to a five-week boot camp in Orlando. Sean said that the strict schedule helped him become a better person. However, after returning home, he fell back into old habits and got into more trouble.
Sean’s mom noticed his growing passion for music and decided to support his dreams by buying him the necessary equipment. Despite his rebellious streak, his mother stood by him. Just before his 15th birthday, things took a turn when his mother was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for tax evasion and bank fraud. This period was a significant turning point in Sean’s life.
Oh, not the mama! Lock her up, lock her up! His sister somehow got caught up in the case and was sentenced to probation. But when she failed to answer her phone during court-ordered monitoring, she was jailed for four months. It seems like this family scams together and sticks together, right? With his mom and sister away, the family lost everything. Sean told Blues and Soul that he ended up living with other family members. His behavior deteriorated until he decided it was best to be on his own. He was homeless for a while, cutting grass and doing odd jobs to make ends meet. He also put more effort into his music, knowing it was the only way to save his family.
After getting cheated on by the girl he described as the most beautiful in school, he wrote the song “Beautiful Girls” and started reaching out to musicians on Myspace. Sean told MTV he messaged Dr. Dre and Swizz Beatz, but they ignored him. He also contacted producer J.R. Rotem, sending the same message five times a day until J.R. finally responded. J.R. initially strung him along, but when Sean moved to L.A. with his brother, he reached out again and asked to meet. J.R. eventually let Sean audition, leading to him signing with J.R.’s Beluga Heights record label and releasing his self-titled debut album in 2007. The album featured multiple hits, including “Beautiful Girls,” which topped several charts and was certified double platinum in the U.S. As of now, the music video has over a billion views on YouTube.
However, from the beginning, people were suspicious of Sean. There were holes in his life story, and his fake Jamaican accent put people off. Here’s Sean Kingston. Sean, let Auntie Regina help you with the accent, okay? Sean frequently talked about his grandfather, Jack, and the advice he gave him. Sean claimed Jack would sit him down and say, “Yo, this industry is crazy, and you gotta keep focused. You gotta keep God first.” In another MTV interview, Sean said he would go to the studio with his grandfather, vibing out together and watching Jack create songs for musical legends.
But it was all a lie. Jack passed away in 1989, and Sean was born in 1990. There’s no way he was in the studio with his grandfather or having those conversations. What’s going on here? He probably imagined the times he wished he had with his grandfather, and sometimes, when you imagine things, reality slips away. I’m sure during the interviews, he realized he was sharing his fantasy, not reality.
In 2009, Sean dropped his second album, ‘Tomorrow,’ featuring big names like Wyclef Jean and Good Charlotte. Around this time, his mom and sister got out of prison, and Sean, now flush with cash, decided to spoil them. The Miami New Times reported he bought his mom a Bentley and a new house. But it seems like Sean might have jumped into spending a bit too fast because things started to fall apart soon after the album’s release.
Let’s get into it, folks. Sean eventually came clean that he wasn’t actually related to Buju Banton. Dirty liar, dirty, dirty liar. Then in 2010, a 19-year-old woman accused him and his crew of assaulting her in a Seattle hotel room. Sean admitted they had a hookup but insisted it was consensual. The charges were dropped later due to her inconsistent story.
In 2011, Sean had a terrible accident while jet skiing with a woman in Miami. He miscalculated the tide and smashed into a bridge going 35 mph. Both were thrown into the water, and Sean was knocked out cold. He ended up with a torn aorta and needed emergency open-heart surgery, spending 11 days in the hospital.
Trouble just kept finding Sean. In February 2012, the IRS hit him with a $131,000 bill for unpaid taxes and even put a lien on his property. By April, he was behind on payments for his and his sister’s Maseratis, owing $3,500 in back payments plus $29,000 for the remaining lease balance. Luckily, he managed to pay up in time to avoid repossession. 2012 was rough, but 2013 was about to be even crazier.
Remember the woman from Seattle? She filed a $5 million civil lawsuit against Sean and his crew, even though the criminal charges were dropped. Sean settled out of court, reportedly just to focus on his tour.
In September 2013, Sean released his third album, ‘Back 2 Life,’ featuring stars like Nicki Minaj, T.I., Chris Brown, and 2 Chainz. But the album didn’t do as well as his previous ones. With his popularity fading, Sean’s finances took a hit too. By March 2014, TMZ reported his G-Wagon and Bentley were repossessed for missed payments. Later that year, a New York jeweler sued him for unpaid jewelry from 2008 to 2013, and a judge ordered Sean to pay $356,000.
Sean Kingston Fires Back at Broke Rumors: “Shut Your Broke Ass!”
Amid rumors of financial troubles, Sean Kingston decided to set the record straight in an interview with Gulf News. “People don’t see the story behind it,” Sean said. “They just see on TMZ that Sean Kingston is being sued for jewelry; he’s broke. How am I broke? Shut your broke ass. TMZ won’t put up the fact that I just bought a house for $8 million, and I actually asked them to, but they’ll put up these lawsuits to sell this idea that I’m broke. Shut your broke ass.”
In November 2015, a Los Angeles company accused Sean of owing $225,000 for a watch, according to TMZ. Sean stopped making payments because he believed the watch was overpriced. In another incident, a Florida jeweler claimed Sean owed $25,000 on a $59,000 Rolex. A judge ordered him to pay up. Pay them people, Sean, with your broke ass!
During this turbulent period, Sean opened his home to Safari, who expressed gratitude on Instagram after hitting hard times. In July 2016, Sean’s $300,000 chain was snatched at a West Hollywood club, leading to a social media feud involving Meek Mill. The case was eventually closed when Sean stopped cooperating with authorities.
Despite his legal issues, Sean continued buying expensive jewelry. In January 2017, a New York jewelry company claimed Sean and his mom bounced checks for $32,000 worth of high-end pieces. A judge ruled in favor of the jeweler. Around this time, Sean became more known for his legal troubles than his music. It was no surprise when he clashed with the Migos in Las Vegas, leading to one of Sean’s associates being arrested for firing a shot during the altercation. Sit your ass down somewhere wasting them damn bullets!
Thankfully, no one was hurt. In 2017, Sean was back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons when a Florida jeweler accused him of bouncing a check used to buy a Rolex. After four years of trying to collect the debt, the jeweler took the matter to court, but the case’s outcome remains unknown. Sean stayed out of trouble for a while until December 2020, when a warrant was issued for his arrest over an unpaid $45,000 jewelry tab.
During this time, fans wondered if Sean would ever release another album. He explained to Billboard that he had been caught up in some bad situations and trapped in a poor record deal he signed when he was young and naive. “I signed a lot of contracts. I was hungry. I didn’t know about the music industry like that,” he said. While his music career was on hold, he wrote songs for other artists, including his friend Chris Brown. Determined to go independent, Sean hired good lawyers and managed to get his career back on track, eventually starting his own label, Time is Money Entertainment. In 2023, he released his comeback album, “Ride to Deliverance,” after a 10-year hiatus.
Unfortunately, the album didn’t make much of an impact. I didn’t even know it had come out. Instead of chart-topping hits, Sean made headlines for more trouble. In November 2023, he was accused of assaulting a music video director staying at his Los Angeles home after a disagreement over transferring some video files. A representative for Sean told TMZ the allegations were false. That same month, Sean faced a lawsuit from a jeweler claiming he owed $1 million for watches.
The jeweler said they flew from Malaysia to Sean’s house in L.A. to hand-deliver the watches, but Sean never paid. He initially claimed the wire transfer was flagged by his bank due to the large amount being wired overseas, then stopped responding entirely. When Sean failed to appear in court, the jeweler demanded a $1 million default judgment.
On May 23rd, 2024, Sean’s house in Southwest Ranches, Florida, was raided. Sean wasn’t home, but his mom was, and she got arrested. Her mugshot was all over the internet in no time. The cops claimed that over the last six months, Sean and his mom had stolen almost $500,000 in jewelry, over $200,000 from Bank of America, $160,000 from a car dealership, $100,000 from First Republic Bank, and $86,000 for a custom bed. Sean’s mom was released a few days later after posting a $160,000 bond. During the raid, authorities confiscated several items, including a giant LED TV screen worth more than $100,000.
A few hours after the raid, Sean was performing a show in California. Right after he got off stage, he was arrested. As of now, Sean has waived his rights to fight extradition in California and has agreed to return to Florida, where he and his mom are facing 10 charges of theft and fraud. His lawyer told the LA Times, “We deny all the allegations and look forward to proving our case to a Florida jury.”
For those who watched our first video on Sean Kingston, these new allegations probably aren’t surprising. Many people are wondering why it took so long for Sean to be held accountable. He’s still in custody and is innocent until proven guilty, but we’ll keep you updated on this case