Paul Pierce has informed the court that he’s the biological father of the child at the center of a paternity lawsuit filed earlier this year.
According to court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, Pierce is now asking for joint legal and physical custody of two-month-old King Rafael Santiago Pierce in light of his admission.
Princess Santiago, an event planner based in Los Angeles, filed the suit in January, asking for a court-ordered genetic test that could determine whether Pierce is the father of their then-unborn child. Santiago later requested nearly $30,000 in monthly child support, as well as sole legal and physical custody.
“For nine months, I went through this pregnancy alone — no financial support, no in-person presence from Paul,” Santiago said in a statement to TMZ. “Now that the DNA test confirms he’s the father, he’s seeking joint custody?”
After filing her paternity lawsuit, Santiago told TMZ that she made “multiple attempts to resolve this privately,” but decided to take legal action because “it’s about accountability and doing what’s right for my child.”
In addition to her child support request, Santiago asked for Pierce to pay $18,846 in order to cover half of her “reasonable expenses” that consisted of her pregnancy, birth, and post-birth costs. She also sought $100,000 for her legal fees.
To support her claim, the suit alleges Pierce earned “approximately $195 million to $203 million in total NBA salary,” while also citing a quote in which he admitted to making “enough money from endorsements that he did not have to use his NBA salary.”
