Tristan Thompson has publicly apologised to his on-off girlfriend Khloe Kardashian, after confirming he fathered a child with another woman.
In a statement shared on his Instagram Story, the NBA player said he was “so incredibly sorry” for causing her “heartache and humiliation”.
The sports star, who shares 3-year-old daughter True with Khloe, wrote: “Today, paternity test results revealed that I fathered a child with Maralee Nichols.”
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“I take full responsibility for my actions. Now that paternity has been established I look forward to amicably raising our son,” he continued.
“I sincerely apologise to everyone I’ve hurt or disappointed throughout this ordeal both publicly and privately.”
Addressing his ex-girlfriend directly, Tristan wrote: “Khloe, you don’t deserve the heartache and humiliation my actions have caused you.”
“You don’t deserve the way I have treated you over the years. My actions certainly have not lined up with the way I view you.”
“I have the utmost respect and love for you. Regardless of what you may think. Again, I am so incredibly sorry,” he added.
Claims Tristan fathered a child with Maralee Nichols emerged last month, after her paternity suit against him hit headlines.
The personal trainer sued the NBA player for child support, after insisting he’s the father of her baby boy, who was born on December 1st, 2021.
In court documents, the 30-year-old acknowledged that he had sex with Maralee at a hotel in Houston, Texas in March 2021.
It’s understood Tristan was still in a relationship with Khloe at the time, as she threw him a 30th birthday party in March, and posted a sweet tribute to him online.
Tristan also admitted to meeting Maralee “on a sporadic basis” from December 2020 until March 2021 “for consensual casual sex only”.
While he admitted to having sex with Maralee, the sports star questioned whether he was really the father of her baby and requested a paternity test.
Maralee launched her paternity suit against Tristan on June 30 in Los Angeles, shortly after relocating from Texas.
Tristan is already father to his four-year-old son Prince, whom he shares with his ex Jordan Craig, and three-year-old daughter True, whom he shares with Khloe.
Khloe and Tristan first started dating back in 2016, but their relationship hit the rocks when the NBA star was accused of cheating – just days before Khloe gave birth to their daughter True in April 2018.
The reality star controversially decided to stand by Tristan, but less than one year later, he was caught kissing family friend Jordyn Woods at a house party in February 2019.
Khloe dumped the basketball player for good, but she decided to give their relationship another chance in 2020 – after they grew close during lockdown.
During the last season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, which aired early last year, Khloe and Tristan were very open about their plans to have another baby together.
The mother-of-one confirmed that she made embryos with Tristan, but in March the reality star said the coronavirus pandemic had delayed their plans to get pregnant.
Just three months later, multiple outlets reported that Khloe and Tristan had split once again – around the same time Maralee launched her paternity suit against him.
