Tristan Thompson confirms paternity of child, publicly apologizes to Khloé Kardashian
In addition to his daughter with Kardashian and other son, Thompson has a 5-year-child, Prince, with model Jordan Craig.
Sacramento Kings power forward Tristan Thompson has publicly acknowledged that he is the biological father of a son with Maralee Nichols.
In an Instagram Story, Thompson wrote “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.”
He added, “I sincerely apologize to everyone I’ve hurt or disappointed throughout this ordeal both publicly and privately.”
“Khloé, you don’t deserve this. You don’t deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you,” he wrote.
In a second Instagram Story post, Thompson offered an apology to Khloé Kardashian — with whom he has a 3-year-old daughter, True. The couple was still dating when the boy Nichols was conceived.
“You don’t deserve the way I have 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.”
Thompson won $50,000 last year in a libel lawsuit against Kimberly Alexander, who claimed he is the father of her 5-year-old son; a DNA test proved that the ball player is not the child’s dad. He sued Alexander for $100,000 after alleging that her paternity accusations were damaging his endorsement opportunities. Prior to the suit, Alexander was sent a cease-and-desist letter from both Thompson and Kardashian, per E! News.
Thompson had previously denied paternity and a relationship with Nichols. However, Nichols recently released a statement to E! News and said she did so “because I feel I must defend my character.”
She added that she is not a personal trainer, as she has frequently been described in the media: “I have not worked as a personal trainer for four years; I do fitness modeling. I was never a personal trainer for Tristan.” She noted that she met Thompson at a party at his home: “He told me he was single and co-parenting. I would never have gotten involved with Tristan if I thought he was in a relationship.”
Nichols stated that despite claims that she and Thompson were not in a relationship, they spent “many nights” together. She noted that she does not “want a romantic relationship with Tristan. My goal is to raise our son in a safe, healthy, loving and private environment.”
In addition to his daughter with Kardashian, Thompson has a 5-year-son, Prince, with model Jordan Craig. She filed a lawsuit against Thompson in 2019, claiming that his relationship with Kardashian — which occurred during her own pregnancy — caused physical and emotional complications.
Have you subscribed to theGrio podcasts “Dear Culture” or “Acting Up?” Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.com today!
