Paul Pierce who earned $195 million in NBA career drowning financially in lawsuit drama
Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce said he’s “tapped out” after his final check from FS1 in August, leaving him without a steady income amid a custody battle with his ex-wife, Princess Santiago, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.Paul — who earned $195.1 million in salary over his 19-season NBA career, per Spotrac — pays around $28,000 in child support and another $20,000 in spousal support to Santiago per month, the court docs state.
The ex-couple share a son, King Rafael, who was born in February.Paul spends around $48,000 a month in bills, including $8,000 in childcare, $5,000 in groceries, $7,000 on eating out, $3,200 on utilities, $1,000 on clothes and $3,500 on entertainment, among other expenses, per the court documents.The 49-year-old adds that he has $300,000 in the bank and $3 million in property to his name.
Paul’s final check from Fox Sports came in August — and his average monthly income was $119,000 as an employee of the network.Pierce says he earned around $23,000 in September from his partnership interests in other business ventures.Pierce is asking the court to deny Santiago’s request for $40,000 in legal fees and another $10,000 for a forensic accountant, whom she allegedly hired to review his financial records.The Celtics legend’s attorney said his client, who is “financially drowning,” would have “great difficulty” paying these fees since his Fox Sports income ended.Pierce and Santiago, an event director in Los Angeles, have been in a custody battle for months.
Santiago previously filed a paternity suit in January, claiming Pierce was the father of her son.In court documents obtained by TMZ in August, Santiago provided text messages claiming Pierce ignored her throughout her pregnancy and “prioritized love interests and vacations” over their son.
She asked the court for sole legal and physical custody of their child, as well as child support payments.At the time, Paul filed court docs opposing Santiag...