Tristan Thompson is in trouble yet again, this time for a backlog in child support payments for his two-year-old son Theo, whom he shares with estranged former fling Maralee Nichols.
This comes after Thompson, 33, was suspended without pay for 25 games due to a positive drug test back in January. According to The Sun, the court has mandated the Cavaliers center to settle $57,916 in overdue payments to the fitness model, covering the period from September 15, 2023, to January 31, 2024.
The legal battle between Nichols, 32, and Thompson began with a paternity lawsuit filed by Nichols in June 2021, where she asserted that Thompson fathered her child, despite his ongoing relationship with Khloé Kardashian and their plans for a second child via surrogate. Kardashian's surrogate later gave birth to their son, Tatum, in July of 2022.
After many denials from Thompson, a paternity test confirmed that Theo is indeed his son. In a public statement, Thompson admitted, "Today, paternity test results reveal that I fathered a child with Maralee Nichols. I take full responsibility for my actions. Now that paternity has been established I look forward to amicably raising our son... I sincerely apologize to everyone I've hurt or disappointed throughout this ordeal both publicly and privately."
He also issued an apology to Kardashian, 39, for the repeated infidelities and public embarrassment, saying: "Khloe, you don't deserve this. You don't deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you. You don't deserve the way I've treated you over the years. My actions certainly have not lined up with the way I view you. I have the utmost respect and love for you. Regardless of what you may think. Again I am so incredibly sorry."
Despite his claims of wanting to co-parent amicably, Thompson has been criticized for his lack of involvement in both Theo's upbringing and that of his son Prince with ex Jordan Craig. In October 2023, Craig accused the father of four of owing her $224,000 in child support, claiming he made "either partial payments or missing child support payments altogether."
Correction 3/25/2024, 4:30 p.m. ET: This article was updated to properly reflect the number of children fathered by Tristan Thompson.
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