Tristan Thompson Reportedly Paying Maralee Nichols $9,500 A Month For Son, 1, As They Settle Custody

Eric Todisco

December 16, 2022 8:22AM EST

Tristan Thompson reportedly agreed to pay Maralee Nichols nearly $10K per month in child support, while she gets full custody of baby Theo.

Tristan Thompson, 31, settled his paternity case with Maralee Nichols after their son Theo turned 1. The NBA star agreed to pay Maralee $9,500 per month in child support, according to TMZ. The outlet also reported that Tristan — who got Maralee pregnant while he was in a committed relationship with Khloe Kardashian, 38 — also covered some of Maralee’s lawyer fees. Maralee will reportedly have sole custody of Theo.

Tristan Thompson (Photo: @CelebCandidly / MEGA)

This paternity case has been playing out since Maralee gave birth to Tristan’s son on Dec. 3, 2021. A spokesperson previously told Us Weekly that Tristan wasn’t paying child support to Maralee, but in August an attorney for the professional athlete insisted that wasn’t true. Tristan “is paying, and has paid, child support to Ms. Nichols retroactive to the date she delivered the child,” the attorney said to Us Weekly.

The news of Maralee’s pregnancy broke last winter thanks to court docs that revealed Maralee gave birth. Tristan waited a month until he admitted that the child was indeed his after taking a paternity test. At the time, the professional athlete took to Instagram Stories to announce the news. “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 wrote. Tristan also apologized to Khloe in his message, writing, “Khloé, you don’t deserve this. You don’t deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you. You don’t deserve the way I have treated you over the years.”

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Khloe Kardashian, Tristan Thompson & Daughter True: Their Cute Family Photos

PREMIUM EXCLUSIVE: Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson take daughter True to sister Kim's Paw Patrol premiere as rumors continue about them rekindling their romance. The on-off couple looked happy and relaxed as they joined members of the Kardashian clan for the private screening. Khloe and pro basketball player Tristan were first linked in 2016 when they were spotted spending time together at a nightclub, and they later took a vacation in Mexico. The two confirmed that they were dating that same year and remained very close through much of 2017. The reality television personality eventually confirmed that she was pregnant with the athlete's child that December through a post made to her Instagram account. Kardashian revealed that she was expecting a girl during an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians that aired the following year. In 2018, it was reported that Thompson was spotted kissing multiple women in several locations, which surprised the clothing designer. That year, she gave birth to True, and the parents later reconciled following the child's birth. Although the two appeared to be going strong in their new roles as parents, the basketball player, just traded to the Sacramento Kings in California, was later caught cheating with several other women, and the two split up in February of 2019. The pair appeared to mend their relationship over the course of that year and were reportedly on good terms by the beginning of 2020. The parents quarantined together during the early stages of the pandemic, and their romance was eventually resumed last August. Earlier this year, it was reported that the couple was planning on expanding their family in the future, although no solid plans have been revealed as of yet. This past June, it was revealed that Kardashian and Thompson had separated, although they were said to still be on good terms at the time of their split. 12 Aug 2021 Pictured: Tristan Thompson, Khloe Kardashian and daughter True. Photo credit: MEGA Th

Theo is Tristan’s third child. He shares 6-year-old son Prince with ex Jordan Craig and 4-year-old daughter True with Khloe. In July 2022, Tristan and Khloe welcomed their second child together, a son, via surrogate. Their baby boy was conceived before news of Tristan’s paternity scandal broke. “We can confirm True will have a sibling who was conceived in November,” Khloe’s rep told HollywoodLife in a statement. “Khloe is incredibly grateful to the extraordinary surrogate for such a beautiful blessing. We’d like to ask for kindness and privacy so that Khloe can focus on her family.”