Actor From 'Elf' and 'Friday' Arrested After Missing Child Support Hearing

Held Without Bond

Faizon Love, the actor and comedian best known for playing the exasperated department store manager opposite Will Ferrell in the 2003 Christmas comedy ‘Elf,’ was arrested in Tampa, Florida, on June 16, 2026, on two counts of contempt of court stemming from a long-running child support and paternity dispute. He is 58 years old and is being held without bond at Hillsborough County’s Orient Road Jail.

Court records reviewed by multiple outlets including the Washington Times and Fox News show the case involves a reopened paternity suit dating to 2019 between Love and a woman identified as Tiffany Lee. A judge issued a warrant for Love’s arrest after he failed to appear at an April 8, 2026, hearing and did not submit required financial documents that had been specifically ordered by the court. The judge subsequently ordered a 90-day jail sentence for the failure to comply.

‘$13,000 in Five Years’

The case has been building for years. Court documents obtained by TMZ show that Love claimed earlier this year he was unable to pay the $250,000 in child support Lee alleges he owes. In those documents, Love stated he made no money in the previous year and that his highest gross income over the previous five years was $13,000.

Records also reflect multiple prior motions to suspend his driver’s license and an active civil warrant accompanied by an affidavit of arrears indicating back child support owed, according to the Washington Times.

Love’s attorney at the time of the contempt order, identified by local station WTSP as handling the case after it escalated, said the matter was related to a motion for contempt for failure to pay child support.

A Career Spanning Decades

Love rose to prominence as Big Worm in the 1995 hip-hop comedy ‘Friday’ before reaching a wider audience as Wanda, the harried Gimbels manager in ‘Elf.’ His other credits include ‘Couples Retreat,’ ‘The Replacements,’ and voice work as Sean ‘Sweet’ Johnson in the video game ‘Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.’

The Florida arrest is not Love’s only active legal matter. A separate felony assault case remains pending in San Diego following an August 2024 incident at a Sheraton hotel, where prosecutors allege Love tore a credit card reader from a front desk and threw it at a hotel clerk, striking her in the head and causing a concussion. He has pleaded not guilty in that case.

What Comes Next

Love was expected to appear before a Hillsborough County judge in the days following his arrest. His current bond status and any update to his custody situation had not been confirmed in available reporting at time of publication.

References: ‘Elf’ and ‘Friday’ Actor Faizon Love Arrested in Florida, Held Without Bond on Contempt Charges | Faizon Love Arrested Contempt of Court Tampa | ‘Elf’ Actor Faizon Love Arrested in Florida