‘This Is Legalized Gold Digging’: Paul Pierce’s Joint Custody Request For Child With Princess Santiago Might Cost More Than $29,811 Per Month She’s Seeking
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and when it comes to NBA players, even in retirement, the best of them get caught in the mix. In the case of Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce, after months of ducking allegations from Princess Santiago, he admits he has a newborn and now he’s ready to get active.
According to TMZ, court documents show that the Boston Celtics legend told the court the 2-month-old King Rafael Santiago Pierce is his biological son.
Now that paternity has been established, he wants joint legal and physical custody of the kid, which could bring more drama to the situation.
Santiago Princess Wants $29,811 Per Month Child Support
Back in March, Santiago had the wheels in motion, filing for sole custody while seeking $29,811 per month in child support, $100,000 in legal fees, and nearly $19,000 in “reasonable expenses” relating to her pregnancy.
Those numbers are in line, the filing says, with Pierce’s career earnings during his 19-year NBA stint, where the NBA champion earned “approximately $195 million to $203 million in total NBA salary.”
Santiago’s people did their research, stating in the filing that Pierce has “has publicly stated that during his NBA career he made enough money from endorsements that he did not have to use his NBA salary to pay his expenses or generous expenditures on his family, romantic partners and family.”
In the same legal paperwork, Santiago made a second request for Pierce to undergo genetic testing to ensure he is the biological father of the 2-month-old.
Santiago Announces Pregnancy On Instagram After Pierce Failed To Respond
With Pierce he first announced the pregnancy with a set of baby bump photos posted on Instagram with the caption, “Blessings-No Regrets 🤍 I love my SON 📖 Isaiah 54:17.”
A week later, Santiago dropped the suit, on Pierce, saying:
“I filed for paternity papers after multiple attempts to resolve this privately,” Santiago said in a statement. “Paul Pierce is the father of my son, King, and I am simply asking for a paternity test so the truth can be confirmed. This isn’t about drama or attention — it’s about accountability and doing what’s right for my child.”
An LA event director named Princess Santiago filed a paternity suit in a Los Angeles court Monday, requesting that Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce undergo a DNA test to prove he’s the father of her child. (Instagram)
Santiago Not Happy Pierce Is Seeking Joint Custody
Santiago, an event director in L.A., filed the suit on Jan. 12 and has worked with NBA players in the past, including Dwight Howard.
Santiago has pulled her sleeves up, and she’s not going to let Pierce have his way without a fight. She claims he ghosted her for almost a year before confirmation of paternity changed his attitude
“For nine months, I went through this pregnancy alone — no financial support, no in-person presence from Paul,” she tells TNZ. “Now that the DNA test confirms he’s the father, he’s seeking joint custody?”
Fans Can’t Believe Paul Pierce Is About To Lose All That Cash Over Baby With Princess Santiago
“Too old for this sh-t,” one fan captioned above reports of Pierce’s latest drama.
Most fans were disappointed that the 48-year-old got caught up a situation that he mishandled and now will cost him dearly financially, in addition to bringing him the responsibility of raising a
“Why is child support tied directly to wealth instead of the actual calculated cost of raising a child? Earning millions should absolutely mean giving your kid a great life but twenty-nine thousand a month essentially becomes unmonitored spousal support,” one fan complained.
“Bro that ain’t child support, that’s a straight up salary for being a single mom with zero accountability. Kids don’t need 30 racks a month for diapers and formula this is just legalized gold digging while the dad wants to actually be there. Wake up America this system is cooked,” another user warned.
“Paul is way too much of an OG to be going through this type of sh-t rn . Like cmon Unc you know this is the games they are playing,” said another disappointed fan.
“Every Relationship Is Based Off Sex”
Pierce has had some interesting views on sex and relationships over the years. He even lost his gig with ESPN because he chose to livestream a private gathering he was having with strippers.
Past comments Pierce made about relationships, drew backlash.
“When I weird out, you’re gonna go find someone else that’s better. Marriage is for old people and poor people,” Pierce said on a podcast last year. He faced plenty of backlash for his opinions, and now that he has become the victim of that type of mentality, some would say he’s paying for it. But then again, he’s not poor, so by his logic he doesn’t have to make good decisions.
Pierce was known for his shrewd basketball mind on the court and must now navigate this situation at age 48 with a woman who has already expressed some dissatisfaction with the way he handled her pregnancy.
