Tristan Thompson delivered dozens of roses to his daughter True, just hours before he confirmed he is the father of another woman’s child.
In footage published by TMZ, the NBA star was spotted outside his three-year-old daughter’s gymnastic class in Los Angeles on Monday, where he surprised her almost 100 roses.
Shortly afterwards, Tristan issued a publicly apology to his on-off girlfriend and True’s mom Khloe Kardashian, after a paternity test confirmed he is the father of personal trainer Maralee Nichols’ newborn son.
The 30-year-old wrote in a statement shared on his Instagram Story: “Today, paternity test results revealed that I fathered a child with Maralee Nichols. I take full responsibility for my actions.”
“Now that paternity has been established I look forward to amicably raising our son. 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.
Khloe and Tristan first started dating back in 2016, but their relationship hit the rocks when the basketball player was accused of cheating – just days before Khloe gave birth to their daughter True in April 2018.
The Good American founder 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.
The couple split again last summer, around the same time Maralee launched her paternity suit against Tristan.
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.
Reacting to the results of the paternity test, Maralee’s rep told Page Six: “There was never any doubt that Tristan Thompson was the father of Maralee Nichols’ baby.”
“Tristan made numerous false and defamatory statements and declarations about Maralee over the past few months, and she is taking his contrite statement today in the context of all of those statements.”
