TRISTAN Thompson is having to play catch up after not paying child support to Maralee Nichols for their young son, The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal.
The Cleveland Cavaliers player fathered little Theo with the fitness influencer while reportedly in an exclusive relationship with reality star Khloe Kardashian in 2021.
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His son is now 2 years old, having been born in December 2021, but Tristan has still not met the toddler as Maralee navigates life as a single mother, The U.S. Sun can confirm.
Their relationship came to light after she sued him for child support and he was ordered to pay her $9,500 a month, according to court a report in TMZ.
But new court documents obtained by The U.S. Sun suggest he has not been coughing up the cash of late, with a judge ordering him to pay out $57,916.
The filing from Los Angeles Superior Court claims Tristan missed payments between September 15, 2023, and January 31, 2024.
It is not known if he has finally paid the money and numerous calls to his lawyer and representative went unanswered.
Maralee’s rep also did not return requests for comment when contacted by The U.S. Sun this week.
According to an earlier report by TMZ, his NBA contracts totaled $100 million during his basketball career.
TEAM SUSPENSION
He spent time off the court before joining the Los Angeles Lakers, but later switched back to his old team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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However, he ended up being suspended for 25 games without pay in January for violating the league’s anti-drug rules.
In a statement issued by the NBA, the agency said he was penalized for “violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program by testing positive for ibutamoren and SARM LGD-4033.”
His team also released a statement, saying they were “disappointed” by the situation but will continue to support him.
“The Cleveland Cavaliers fully support the NBA/NBAPA Anti-Drug Program, and we are disappointed in the recent news surrounding Tristan Thompson,” the organization wrote.
“His time away from game action will have an impact on our team.
“We stand behind Tristan and offer our support throughout this suspension period.”
He has not commented on his suspension.
Tristan has had a difficult time in recent months following the sudden death of his mom, Andrea, in January 2023 from a heart attack.
Earlier this year, the 33-year-old was officially declared the legal guardian of his disabled younger brother, Amari, who is 17 and suffers from a severe type of epilepsy.
EX’S CASH DEMAND
News of his lack of support for Maralee comes after he was ordered to pay child support for his eldest child, Prince, with ex Jordan Craig.
In October, the Daily Mail reported he owed Craig $224,000 after also falling behind on child support payments for his 7-year-old son.
According to earlier reports, they had reached an agreement in April 2019 that he would hand over a monthly stipend of $40,000.
Meanwhile, he refused to pay Maralee until he had seen the results of a paternity test for young Theo.
When the test confirmed Theo was his son, he released a statement and publicly apologized to his ex Khloe.
He wrote in January 2023, “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.
“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.”
He added, “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.”
Fans were unaware at the time the scandal broke that Khloe had already used a surrogate to have another baby with Tristan, following the birth of their daughter True, now 6, in April 2018.
Their son, Tatum, is now 20 months old and Tristan has been a hands-on father to him.
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