'Elf' and 'Friday' actor Faizon Love arrested and held without bond in Florida
Phoebe Tonks
Featured Image Credit: Julia Beverly/Getty Images
Actor and comedian Faizon Love has been arrested in Florida and is currently being held behind bars without bond, according to official law enforcement records.
The 58-year-old star—best known for his iconic breakout role as Big Worm in the 1995 cult classic Friday and his memorable turn as the enthusiastic toy store manager in the holiday favorite Elf—was taken into custody by local authorities on Tuesday, June 16.
According to booking logs released by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, the California-based actor was placed under arrest in Tampa, Florida and subsequently booked into the Orient Road Jail, reports EW.
Official jail records indicate that Love, whose real name is Langston Faizon Santisima, is currently being held on two counts of contempt of court.
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While the sheriff's office has not publicly disclosed the full underlying details of the standard court orders, reports from People indicate that the sudden arrest is directly connected to an ongoing domestic relations and paternity matter.
According to PEOPLE, a woman named Tiffany Lee, the mother of Love's child, reportedly reopened a paternity and financial support case involving the actor just days prior on June 11.
The two counts of contempt are allegedly tied to a failure to appear at a mandatory scheduled hearing and outstanding financial support requirements.
As of Thursday morning, representatives for the veteran comedian have not released an official statement regarding the arrest, and he remains held in the Tampa facility without an active bond.
The Florida arrest marks the latest in a string of public legal headaches for the actor over the last few years.
Back in August 2024, Love faced heavy scrutiny after an altercation at a San Diego hotel, where he was accused of ripping a credit card reader off its mount and throwing it at a hotel clerk after being told there was no vacancy.
He pleaded not guilty to those charges, with the case moving into formal court proceedings earlier this year.
Prior to that, the stand-up comic pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor assault charge following a highly publicized 2017 airport altercation with a valet at the John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio, resulting in a suspended jail sentence.
Despite his recurring legal battles, Love remains an incredibly recognizable and deeply quoted figure within Black cinema and mainstream comedy, with a career spanning over four decades across titles like The Replacements, Couples Retreat, and The Parent 'Hood.