Tyrese Gibson Says Mom Made Him Act 'Special Needs' for Benefit Check

Tyrese Gibson is sharing a difficult time he experienced as a kid ... revealing a scheme concocted by his mother in an effort to help out the family's expenses.

The singer sat down with King Gillie for a new interview, where he confessed his mother, Priscilla Murray Gibson, made him pretend to have special needs when he was about 8 years old ... so they could collect a hefty check from Social Security.

Specifically, the 'Fast & Furious' actor claimed Priscilla made him "play r*****ed" in order to get an extra $762 from the government to help his hard-working mom support the family.

Watch the vid ... Tyrese doesn't seem too fazed by the ruse, as he laughed while retelling the story ... referring to the payout as "government cheese."

As Tyrese saw it ... the fib was his "first acting gig," with King Gillie's cohost Wallo calling Priscilla Tyrese's "first director."

Tyrese's confession is already prompting mixed reactions from fans, who've both slammed and praised the star for the admission. Some took issue with Tyrese using "the R word in 2024" -- while others expressed concern about him facing possible ramifications for now telling the truth.

Tyrese's mother passed away in February 2022 after battling COVID-19 and pneumonia. She had been in a coma before losing her health battle, with the singer calling her death "the saddest moment of [his] life."

He continued on Instagram back then ... "We as a family are broken and just can’t believe this……. May the lord Jesus Christ honor your walk with him and embrace you into the heavens."