After the newest tough spot he’s talked himself into, The Truth might have to hold back on the truth bombs a bit. Paul Pierce revealed that he earns a sizable income from his side gigs despite losing his jobs at FS1 and ESPN in the past years. That has prompted the mother of one of his children to demand a bump in child support payments. Suddenly, Pierce is not very talkative.

Princess Santiago, an event planner from Los Angeles, filed a paternity lawsuit against Pierce several months prior to this event. As per TMZ, her demands include $29,811 in monthly child support and for Pierce to pay $100,000 in legal fees. In addition, the filing is asking for $18,846 to reimburse fifty percent of the “reasonable expenses” related to her pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum care. The Celtics legend is being asked for a total of almost $149,000, or $148,657 to be exact.

The lawsuit initially surfaced in January, shortly before Santiago gave birth to her son, King. The court ordered tests to confirm paternity. She’s also seeking sole physical and legal custody.

She claims that she filed the suit after multiple failed attempts to contact him and resolve this privately. “I filed for paternity papers after multiple attempts to resolve this privately,” she said in a statement to TMZ at the time. “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.”

Contrary to his immediate posts when he was arrested in October 2025 and when he was laid off by Fox Sports 1 in July 2025, Pierce has not spoken on the paternity lawsuit. Not to the media, not to Princess Santiago.

Strikingly, Pierce’s own public admissions form the basis of Santiago’s lawsuit. But he’s so far remained mum on the situation.

Paul Pierce’s public statements are connected to a paternity lawsuit

In the documents, Santiago cites Pierce’s diverse earnings for the six-figure demand. She refers to his NBA career from 1998 to 2017 and says he earned “approximately $195 million to $203 million in total NBA salary.”

She also cites his remarks, likely from the recent Club Shay Shay interview. In that Pierce claimed, “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.”

Pierce has three kids, Prianna, Adrian, and Prince with ex-wife, Julie Landrum. His kids occasionally appear on his social media, and he often talks about them.

Santiago claims in the lawsuit that Paul “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.”

As of this week, Pierce has not issued an official statement regarding the $149,000 initial legal hit or the ongoing custody battle.