'Elf' actor Faizon Love arrested, held in jail without bond

Actor Faizon Love was arrested in Tampa, Florida on June 16, 2026 on contempt of court charges tied to a reopened paternity case, and he remains jailed without bond.

"Elf" and "Friday" actor Faizon Love has been arrested in Florida for contempt of court.

The "Couples Retreat" actor, 58, was arrested in Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday, June 16, for two charges of contempt of court after a warrant was issued for his arrest, according to online Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office arrest records. TMZ was first to report the news.

As of Thursday morning, Love remains in custody without bond. USA TODAY has reached out to Love's rep and lawyer for comment.

It's unclear what led to Love's arrest, though TMZ reports it's connected to a paternity case between the actor and a 35-year-old woman named Tiffany Lee. According to Hillsborough County Clerk of Court records viewed by USA TODAY, the pair is involved in a reopened paternity case dating back to 2019.

USA TODAY has also reached out to Lee's lawyer for comment.

Documents in the "contested" case are sealed, however over 300 record entries in the case show Love's paternity was determined early on and that it appears he has struggled to comply with court orders, including financial disclosures. There have also been multiple motions to suspend his driver's license. As of the latest records, there was an active civil warrant and an "affidavit of arrears," which shows how much back child support is owed.

Who is Faizon Love?

The Cuba-born comedian and actor is best known for his role as Buddy's disgruntled department store boss Wanda in the 2003 Christmas classic "Elf," Big Worm in the seminal 1995 comedy "Friday" and opposite Kali Hawk as Shane and Trudy in the Vince Vaughn-led film "Couples Retreat." His other films include the Wayans brothers parody "Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood" and "Bebe's Kids."