Former child star Kel Mitchell has formally asked a court to find that he is not in debt to his ex-wife, Tyisha Hampton. The former “Kenan & Kel” star and the mother of his two eldest children are at odds after Hampton claimed the 43-year-old star owes her $1.2 million in back child and spousal support. 

According to legal documents captured by Radar Online, Mitchell told the court, “Tyisha has done everything in her power to drag me through her path of destruction.” 

WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 05: Kel Mitchell participates in panel during the 2022 Awesome Con at Walter E. Washington Convention Center on June 05, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brian Stukes/Getty Images)

The “Good Burger” star claimed that as a result of the split, he fell on hard times and, at one point, was forced to file for bankruptcy. “I was forced to start over and made an active effort to get my life and affairs in order,” the Nickelodeon alum stated, before adding, “I focused on rebuilding my relationships and my career.” 

He continued, “Despite my best efforts, I’ve still had to spend all these years and thousands of dollars to defend myself against her actions. Tyisha has pained me as a deadbeat father, not only to this courtroom but to the community and my entire public platform.

Mitchell declared that “This couldn’t be farther from the truth.” The Chicago native said  he has “paid above and beyond what I was ordered to pay in support for our children.” He also noted that when their kids could drive, he purchased cars for them and covered their tuition when they went to college. “I kept them out of this litigation the best I could,” he added. 

The outlet reported that things between the veteran entertainer and his ex-wife got worse after the split and that, to this day, they are in dispute over a residence in Pasadena, California. Following the divorce, Hampton was awarded the home. Mitchell also wants the original judgment to reflect that she received $425K from the house. A decision has yet to be made public. 

The “Game Shakers” star and Hampton tied the knot on April 23, 1999, but split after only roughly five years of marriage. They share two adult children, Lyric and Allure. Michell has since remarried to actress and Christian rapper Asia Lee. The pair married in 2012 and welcomed two kids. Their first child is a daughter named Wisdom, born in July 2017, and a son named Honor, born on Oct. 23, 2020.