Former NBA player Paul Pierce is currently facing a paternity lawsuit initiated by event director Princess Santiago.
This legal action, filed on January 12, accuses Pierce, the 48-year-old former star of the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets, of potentially being the biological father of Santiago’s unborn baby.
TMZ Sports reports that the lawsuit requests a DNA test to determine whether Pierce is indeed the child’s father.
Santiago has been documenting her pregnancy journey on social media, sharing updates with her followers.
In a November 2025 Instagram post, she showcased a video featuring a pool in her ‘new home’, with a caption stating: “New Home making sure my son has the BEST. My blessing.”
Another post displayed the expectant mother posing with Christmas decorations, accompanied by the message: “My KING awaits. ‘Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord.’ Psalm 127:3.”
A subsequent post reflected: “Last year was tough in so many ways. Grateful, thankful blessed God gave me a Son. My King Jeremiah 29:11.”
Santiago claims that her motivation for filing the lawsuit is to ‘do what’s right for [her] son’.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Santiago expressed her reluctance to pursue legal action, stating that she attempted to ‘resolve’ the matter ‘privately’ on several occasions.
“This isn’t about drama or attention — it’s about accountability and doing what’s right for my child,” she stated. “Paul Pierce is the father of my son, King, and I am simply asking for a paternity test so the truth can be confirmed.”
On January 12, Santiago shared another post saying: “It’s only up from here. Blessings-No Regrets, I love my SON Isaiah 54:17.”
The post features her posing in a blue robe, highlighting her pregnancy, alongside an image with motivational quotes about ‘patience,’ ‘peace,’ and ‘positivity’.
Pierce is already a father to three children, whom he shares with his former wife Julie Landrum.
The couple has a son, Prince Paul Pierce, and two daughters, Prianna Lee Pierce and Adrian Tanya Pierce.
In an interview with Fatherly, Pierce mentioned how fatherhood provided him with a deeper purpose, mentioning his children rely on him daily.
“When you’re young, single with no kids, you can go out with your friends and you can do whatever you want to do,” he explained. “That’s who I was. But now that I’ve got kids, I can’t just think about myself. I have to think about how my actions affect my family because I know daddy gotta make it home. They need their dad.”
The question of whether there is a fourth child requiring his support remains unanswered at this time.
Attempts to get a statement from Pierce’s representatives have been made.