Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce has admitted that he is the father of two-month-old King Rafael Santiago Pierce, and now he’s seeking joint custody, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly. TMZ was first to report the news.
“For nine months, I went through this pregnancy alone — no financial support, no in-person presence from Paul,” Princess Santiago said in a statement to the outlet on Wednesday, April 22. “Now that the DNA test confirms he’s the father, he’s seeking joint custody?”
Santiago, who works as an event director in Los Angeles, asked in March for sole legal and physical custody of King, in addition to $29,811 per month in child support, $100K in legal fees, and nearly $19K in pregnancy-related expenses from the former Boston Celtics star.
In court documents at the time, Santiago pointed out that Pierce, 48, “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.” She added that his NBA salary alone totaled between $195 and $203 million.
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For Santiago, the process began in January when she first asked for a DNA test to confirm Pierce is the father.
“I filed for paternity papers after multiple attempts to resolve this privately,” Santiago said in a statement 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.”
She added, “This isn’t about drama or attention — it’s about accountability and doing what’s right for my child.”
Since King was born, Santiago has more than embraced being a mom. In an April 12 post via Instagram, she shared a pair of photos of herself holding the baby by a pool.
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“At home soaking in 2 months of loving you, protecting you, and growing with you.,” she wrote in the caption. “You are my greatest blessing and my biggest purpose. My son, my heart, my everything 💙 Dios Te Bendiga.”
She also reflected on giving birth to King in the days following his arrival, showing her 18,000 followers photos of the newborn with his face obscured, calling him a “miracle.”
“Tiny chest fighting, heaven listening, time paused between goodbye and grace,” she wrote. “Now I hold a miracle in my arms grateful, thankful & forever blessed. King 👑 Rafael 🩵 one of the most traumatizing and happiest moments of my life 🥹.”
