How does the Tia Kemp Rick Ross story still make news after more than 20 years? The answer sits with one young man. Their son, William Roberts III, turned 21 this month.
This feature follows both people through the record. It covers what Tia Kemp has said out loud, what Rick Ross has said back, and what court papers and reporters added. Along the way, it fills in her full biography.
Tia Kemp Rick Ross in Brief
Tia Kemp and Rick Ross met in Miami in 2003 and dated for roughly three years. Their son, William Roberts III, was born in September 2005. Kemp filed a paternity suit in 2007. The two struck a confidential deal in 2010, and a second settlement followed in 2018. Ross celebrated his last child support payment in June 2024. As of September 2026, the public sparring hasn’t stopped.
Who Is Tia Kemp? Early Life and Family
Tiallondra Kemp was born on October 31, 1976, in Miami, Florida. She’s 49 today. Her childhood was hard. Her mother was 17 when she gave birth, and her father entered the prison system early. He has now been incarcerated for more than 26 years.
Kemp doesn’t hide any of it. In a March 2024 interview on the Dezigner My Shoe Podcast, she said she’s “proud of who that made me become.” That line frames how she presents herself: a woman who came up poor and stayed in Miami.
Her schooling isn’t documented. One aggregator names Eckerd University, but it cites nothing, so this article leaves it out.
Kemp has said she had her first son at 20, got married at 21, and had her second son at 22. So she was already raising two boys when she met Ross. Her third son, William, arrived in 2005. She lives in Miami, and while she was publicly described as single for years, she made viral headlines in 2026 by getting engaged to her 23-year-old boyfriend, YN ATM.
Who Is Rick Ross?
Rick Ross was born William Leonard Roberts II. He graduated from Miami Carol City High in 1993, then played football on scholarship at Albany State, per the Miami Herald as cited by Vibe. That football thread matters later. Their son would choose a historically Black college too.
Coverage of the pair often stresses that they dated well before Ross became a household name. That timing shapes how each of them tells the story now.
How Tia Kemp Rick Ross Began, in Their Own Words
Neither person has told the meeting story in detail on the record I could find. Reports place it at a Miami nightclub in 2003, and our net worth report says the same. That silence is the finding. The public record on how they fell for each other is thin. The record on how things fell apart runs deep.
What This Relationship Means to Them, In Their Own Words
Kemp’s own words come mostly from the years after the breakup. On Yung Miami’s Caresha Please in September 2024, she asked why Ross skipped their son’s graduation. “Why wasn’t he at this child high school graduation?” she said, per Revolt. She argued that Ross’s anger with her shouldn’t land on William.
She also rejected the idea that she had a child for money. Kemp said Ross didn’t have money when they met. She claimed he still wanted her back. Those are her claims, and the coverage used here doesn’t show Ross confirming them.
Ross tells it differently. He appeared on the same show two weeks earlier. “She lost the boss,” he told Yung Miami, per Revolt’s recap. He framed the split as her loss, and he laughed while saying it.
So Kemp’s version of the relationship now lives mostly through her son. Ross’s version, going by that line, is about status. Both readings come straight from their own mouths.
What Reporters Found That Wasn’t in the Interview
Reporters filled in what neither interview covered. First, the timeline. Outlets disagree on how long the couple dated. Some say 2003 to 2005, and others say 2003 to 2007. Our net worth report says “roughly three years,” which sits in the middle. Kemp hasn’t given a firm end date in the coverage reviewed here.
Second, the money. Court papers obtained by The Blast in 2018 show two competing accounts. Ross’s filing said Kemp was unemployed and used his support money for other relatives living with her. Kemp said Ross refused her requests for his financial records. Those are court claims, not findings.
Third, the book. Bleu magazine says Kemp’s 2009 memoir heavily critiqued Ross and their relationship. That fits the tone of her later posts, but no passages from the book are quoted here.
A Tia Kemp Rick Ross Timeline: 2003 to 2026
- October 31, 1976: Kemp is born in Miami.
- 2003: The relationship begins after a Miami meeting.
- September 2005: William Leonard Roberts III is born.
- 2007: Kemp files a paternity suit.
- 2009: Kemp publishes Tia’s Diary: Deeper Than Rap.
- 2010: The two strike a confidential custody and support deal.
- 2015: Kemp starts seeking higher support, per her 2017 filing.
- February 2018: Ross asks a court to limit her posts about him.
- June 2018: A mediated settlement resolves all outstanding issues.
- January 2024: William commits to Bethune-Cookman.
- June 2024: Ross celebrates his final support payment.
- July 2024: Kemp joins Zeus Network’s Aunt-Tea Podcast.
- September 2024: Ross and Kemp appear on separate Caresha Please episodes.
- September 2026: Kemp responds to allegations against Ross made by his ex, Jazzma Kendrick.
Tia Kemp Rick Ross in Court: Paternity, Support, and the 2018 Deal
Kemp sued Ross for paternity in 2007, The Blast reported. The two struck a confidential custody and support deal in 2010. By 2015, Kemp said, she wanted more money because Ross’s career had grown. In documents filed in October 2017, she also said he’d refused her requests for his financial records.
Ross pushed back in February 2018. He asked a court to stop Kemp from posting about their son and the case. His filing accused her of “trying her case” in the media. He even asked for a third party, paid by Kemp, to approve her posts in advance.
The fight ended in June 2018. Court documents show a mediated deal that resolved all outstanding issues. The amount stayed confidential. Ross agreed to pay Kemp directly through her bank account.
Our net worth report notes that Kemp has said she receives $20,000 in installments. That number is self-reported and unverified. It also sits alongside the sealed settlement, so no one outside the case can check it.
Tia’s Diary and the Move Into Media
Kemp’s public career began with a book. Tia’s Diary: Deeper Than Rap came out in 2009. Bleu magazine lists a longer subtitle, Clarity, Truth, and Exposure. The memoir covers her childhood, motherhood, and her years with Ross.
Then social media took over. Her Instagram account, @yuntietiaback, now has more than 600,000 followers. Her TikTok account has more than 90,000. Much of that audience grew from posts about Ross, a pattern our net worth report documents.
In July 2024, Kemp joined Zeus Network’s Aunt-Tea Podcast with Tokyo Toni and Karlissa Saffold. However, the collaboration was short-lived; by late 2026, the two had a massive public falling out, with Tokyo Toni releasing a video titled “Surviving Tia Kemp” to criticize her former co-host. Two months after joining the podcast, Kemp sat down with Yung Miami. On that show, she said she has dealt with depression and anxiety and has gone to therapy, per Revolt.
Money questions come up constantly, but nothing here is confirmed. No Tier 1 outlet has published a figure. Our structural estimate for her earnings is $400,000 to $800,000. Read the full breakdown in our [INTERNAL LINK: Aunt-Tea Podcast hosts → Tokyo Toni net worth article] and net worth pieces.
Their Son, William Roberts III
William was born in September 2005. The Blast notes Ross named him after himself. He grew up in South Florida and played at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale. He started on varsity as a freshman, per The Spun. The team won the 2023 Class 3M state title, per BET.
William was in the class of 2024. In late January 2024, he committed to Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach. He chose the Wildcats over interest from Miami, Colorado, and others. Albany State, his father’s school, also wanted him.
Kemp shared the news on Instagram, Vibe reported. William now plays offensive line at Bethune-Cookman. He shows up often in his mother’s posts and, at times, in his father’s.
Tia Kemp Rick Ross in 2024: Child Support Ends, a Tuition Bill, and Two Podcasts
June 2024 brought the loudest round. Ross posted an Instagram story about his last child support payment, timed to Father’s Day weekend. He called it “divine divinity,” per Complex. Kemp fired back in a video, per XXL. She said she could return to family court for college costs. She also claimed Ross would pay support for other children for decades. That claim is unverified.
By late July, Kemp had moved to tuition. She showed a note on TikTok Live that listed $209,931.58 for Bethune-Cookman. “I ain’t playing,” she said, per Complex. She pointed to Ross’s Wingstop locations and told William to call his father.
Then came the podcasts. Ross’s Caresha Please episode aired on September 12. Kemp’s followed on September 26, per the show’s episode list. She called the Canada incident involving Ross embarrassing, and she said she didn’t want him hurt. Kemp also sparked viral headlines during the interview by discussing Ross’s dramatic weight loss, openly speculating about his health and whether he was using weight-loss drugs like Ozempic.
2025 to 2026: The Target Video and the Kendrick Allegations
Bleu reports that Ross’s lawyers sent Kemp a cease-and-desist letter. It accused her of harassment and defamatory statements. Kemp kept posting. Bleu also says 50 Cent, Ross’s long-running rival, once interviewed her and took her and William to meet Floyd Mayweather Jr.
In late August 2025, Ross shopped at Target with his then-girlfriend, Jazzma Kendrick. Kemp answered with an Instagram Story, per Complex. She said Ross hadn’t funded a college account for William. “Get off that buggy,” she said. Ross’s side hadn’t answered that claim in the coverage found.
In late September 2026, Kendrick posted photos of an injured lip. She accused Ross of assault, per XXL and Page Six. These are allegations only. Nothing here states or implies guilt. In the coverage found for this article, Ross hasn’t publicly responded. However, Ross’s long-time rival 50 Cent quickly amplified the claims on his own social media to mock the rapper.
Kemp also responded. She said she didn’t believe Kendrick’s account. Her stance drew mixed reactions online, and it shows how unpredictable this co-parenting relationship stays.
Where Tia Kemp Rick Ross Stand in 2026
The tia kemp rick ross story began at a Miami nightclub in 2003. It became a paternity suit, two settlements, and a public back-and-forth that hasn’t ended. What’s confirmed is short: one son, a 2018 mediated deal, and a June 2024 final payment. What isn’t confirmed is longer: the amounts, the exact dates, and most claims each side made online.
Kemp is 49, hosting a podcast, and still posting. Ross keeps his own public life. William is 21 and playing college football. For more on the man at the center.
More on This Topic: Tia Kemp Net Worth: What a Podcast, a Feud, and 600K Followers Actually Built
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Tia Kemp and Rick Ross still together?
No. Reports place the relationship between 2003 and either 2005 or 2007. They’ve co-parented, and argued publicly, ever since.
How long did Tia Kemp and Rick Ross date?
Sources disagree. Our net worth report says roughly three years, and other outlets range from two to four.
How many children do Tia Kemp and Rick Ross share?
They share one son, William Leonard Roberts III, born in September 2005. Kemp has two older sons from a prior relationship.
Does Rick Ross still pay Tia Kemp child support?
Ross said his final payment came in June 2024. Kemp said she could seek more for college costs. No new court order appears in the sources used here.
Where does William Roberts III play football?
He plays at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach. He committed in January 2024 after starring at St. Thomas Aquinas.
What is Tia Kemp doing now?
She remains highly active on Instagram and TikTok, where she recently announced her engagement to her boyfriend, YN ATM. While she initially co-hosted the Aunt-Tea Podcast in 2024, she has since parted ways with the show and her former co-host Tokyo Toni. She is based in Miami.
These details reflect publicly available reporting and records — not confirmed statements from the individuals involved.
Disclaimer: This article is compiled from public court records, media reports, and third-party interviews. All details—including financial estimates and legal allegations—are reported claims and have not been independently verified or confirmed by Tia Kemp or Rick Ross. Nothing in this feature should be interpreted as established fact or an admission of guilt.
Sources: The Blast (June 25, 2018 and March 23, 2018); XXL (June 18, 2024); Revolt (Tia Kemp and Rick Ross Caresha Please recaps, September 2024); Complex (June, July 2024, and August 2025); Bleu magazine; Vibe; BET; The Spun; TheGrio (September 28, 2026); XXL (September 2026); Dezigner My Shoe Podcast (March 2024, as cited in our net worth report).
