The Paul Pierce child support case now has two sharply different monthly figures before the court. Princess Santiago is seeking $29,811, while the former NBA star has proposed about $4,145, according to court filings reported by TMZ, Us Weekly and Complex.
Pierce is also opposing Santiago’s request for $100,000 in legal fees and $18,846 to cover half of her pregnancy-related expenses. Those are requests, not court orders. As of July 31, no ruling on support or custody had been publicly reported.
Pierce has acknowledged that he is the father of King Rafael Santiago Pierce. He is asking for joint legal and physical custody, while Santiago wants sole custody. That disagreement may prove important because California’s statewide support guideline considers both parents’ finances and how much parenting time each receives.
Why Pierce says his income is falling
Pierce reported earning $1.5 million in 2025 but argues that his income will fall by nearly half after payments from Fox Sports 1 end in September 2026.
His filing reportedly says his employment with the network ended in 2021. That timeline is not entirely clear. The Associated Press reported that Pierce later co-hosted FS1’s Speak, which was cancelled in July 2025. Public reporting has not explained whether the court filing was referring to a separate contract, an earlier role or another arrangement.
Pierce last played in the NBA in 2017. Spotrac calculates that he earned $203,813,032 in salary during his playing career, including about $166.49 million with the Boston Celtics. Career earnings, however substantial, are not automatically the same as present income available for support.
His filing also lists existing obligations to four other children. Pierce says he currently pays:
- $20,000 a month in spousal support
- $24,000 a month in child support
- $5,000 a month voluntarily for King
The first two payments total $528,000 a year. Pierce describes those costs as “substantial ongoing financial obligations.”
How far apart are the support proposals?
Santiago’s exact request of $29,811 a month works out to $357,732 annually. Pierce’s proposed payment of roughly $4,145 a month would total $49,740 a year. The difference is $307,992 annually, before legal fees and pregnancy costs are considered.
Pierce argues that Santiago has more financial resources than she has represented. According to his filing, she earns more than $400,000 a year. That figure is his claim in the litigation and has not been established by a public court ruling.
California courts use a statewide formula that weighs both parents’ financial circumstances and their custody time. Support can later be modified if income or the parenting schedule changes. That means Pierce’s NBA earnings provide context, but they do not alone determine the amount. The eventual custody arrangement could also materially affect the calculation.
The competing numbers should therefore be read as litigation positions. The court has not publicly adopted either side’s proposal, despite the certainty often implied by a large number in a headline.
Custody remains a central dispute
Pierce is seeking joint legal and physical custody after acknowledging paternity. Santiago has asked for sole custody and previously questioned why he wanted a shared arrangement.
“For nine months, I went through this pregnancy alone: no financial support, no in-person presence from Paul,” Santiago told TMZ after DNA testing confirmed paternity.
That account appears to differ from Pierce’s assertion that he has voluntarily paid $5,000 a month. The available reports do not make clear whether they are describing the same period. Santiago’s statement concerned the pregnancy, while Pierce’s claimed payments may refer to support provided after the child’s birth.
Several reports place King’s birth on February 6, 2026, although one overseas report gave a March birth date. No publicly reported filing has resolved that discrepancy.
Pierce also alleges that Santiago sends him lengthy messages about subjects unrelated to their child and harasses his girlfriend. Those claims remain allegations in an active family-law dispute, not factual findings by the court.
Pierce disputes claims about alcohol use
Pierce also rejected allegations concerning his personal life and drinking. “I live a quiet and stable life with my girlfriend. I do not drink to excess,” he said in the filing.
That denial comes after a separate incident in October 2025. The Associated Press reported that California Highway Patrol officers found Pierce asleep behind the wheel and arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence. An arrest on suspicion is not a conviction, and no reported outcome from that matter was included in the available coverage.
For the family court, the immediate questions are narrower: each parent’s verified finances, the child’s needs and the custody schedule the judge approves. Until the court rules, the $29,811 request and Pierce’s $4,145 counterproposal remain competing calculations rather than an enforceable result.
