Maralee Nichols Breaks Her Silence on Pregnancy and Tristan Thompson

Maralee Nichols broke her silence, saying she wants to “defend my character” after media reports surrounding her pregnancy and relationship with Tristan Thompson.

Nichols gave birth to a baby boy on December 1, and claims Tristan is the father. She is suing him for child support and pregnancy-related fees, but he has disputed the paternity.

In a statement to People, she said, “Over the past couple of weeks, many inaccurate and false stories have been circulated about me. I have not at any point released — nor have I directed anyone else to release — any information regarding Tristan Thompson or any litigation involving him. I have never spoken to any media outlet, nor have I leaked any information to anyone at any time. I am providing this statement because I feel I must defend my character.”

She claims she met him at his Encino home and believed he was single. “He told me he was single and co-parenting. I would never have gotten involved with Tristan if I thought he was in a relationship,” she said. Tristan was dating Khloé Kardashian at the time.

Maralee went on, “Tristan told me he was not having a sexual relationship with anyone else; it was not casual sex nor did we have any arrangement. Tristan and I communicated daily and talked on the phone. We would see each other several times a month… He invited me to see him Christmas, New Years, and his birthday.”

While Tristan has stated in court docs that his birthday is the only time she could have conceived the baby, she says she got pregnant in April during a trip to Boston.

“I told him the news of my pregnancy in person in North Carolina,” she wrote. “Despite the challenges that I know I would have as a single mother and Tristan’s reaction to my pregnancy, I told Tristan I would be having the baby. Tristan has not helped me financially with my pregnancy or with our baby; I have paid 100% for my son’s expenses. I did not ask Tristan for any money, nor did I accept any money that was offered to me.”

While she filed a paternity suit in Los Angeles, Thompson filed one in Texas. Hers is still pending, but his was dismissed. Maralee said she will not be discussing litigation. “Instead of focusing on any negativity, I am choosing to embrace being a mother and doing the best I can for my son. I do not want any further media attention, nor do I want a romantic relationship with Tristan. My goal is to raise our son in a safe, healthy, loving and private environment.”

Tristan has painted a very different picture of their relationship. In court docs obtained by DailyMail.com, he said, “We did not have a serious ongoing relationship. We saw each other sporadically between December 2020 and March 13, 2021. [Nichols] told me that she had been involved with other athletes and understood the limitations of our relationship; to wit, that we might see each other on a sporadic basis for consensual sex only.”