Terrence Howard plays Lucious Lyon in the Fox hit series "Empire." (Photo : Reuters)
In his struggle to overturn the 2012 divorce settlement with his ex-wife Michelle Ghent, "Hustle & Flow" actor Terrence Howard has declared that he was blackmailed to sign the divorce agreement that gave way more support than his wife was entitled to receive.
Attorney Brian Kramer declared at a court hearing on Aug.11, Tuesday, that the 46-year-old actor was threatened with a sex tape leak by his then wife if he refuses to agree to the divorce terms.
Kramer later played a recorded conversation of the former couple in which Ghent can be heard threatening the actor by saying that she will sell the video of Howard singing naked in the bathroom for $2 million if he did not pay her, USA Today reported.
"I'll drain everything I got to take care of it," the "Empire" star can be heard saying meekly in the taped conversation.
The actor's former business manager Charles McBride later testified to the court that he was told to send $40,000 as wire transfer to Ghent as what he referred to as "hush money."
Howard's attorney also produced another witness in the form of his sister-in-law Yvonne Howard, who declared that Ghent had told her once that she has the footage of the actor having sex with a woman while the act is being filmed by another woman, TMZ reported.
Howard is expected to testify during the proceeding in next two days. All the blackmail accusations are denied by Ghent, who has in turn accused him of domestic violence.
Howard and Ghent married in 2010 and applied to divorce a year later. The divorce was finalized in 2012 under which Ghent was given complete access to several of his bank accounts along with a a share of his earnings in the name of spousal support while Howard was left with responsibility for several debts, including tax liens.
