Maralee Nichols insists she didn’t know Tristan Thompson reconnected with Khloe Kardashian.
The fitness model is speaking out for the first time since she allegedly had Thompson’s third baby. According to Nichols, she conceived her son during the NBA star’s birthday celebrations in Houston. Court documents from her paternity lawsuit against Thompson showed that the two hooked up for several months between 2020 and 2021.
Nichols shared why she’s discussing her past affair with Thompson and her plans for their alleged child in her statement.
Maralee Nichols said she and Tristan Thompson met while he was working on his and Khloe Kardashian’s relationship
Since news broke of Thompson and Nichols’ reported relationship, neither shared the details about their relationship outside of court. However, the model released her first statement to E! News in December 2021. In Nichols’ statement, she first clarified several “fake stories” that circulated. For starters, she was never Thompson’s fitness trainer, and she lives in California, not Texas. Nichols said she met the Sacramento Kings player in California while attending his house parties in 2020, during his reconciliation with Kardashian.
“He told me he was single and co-parenting,” she told E! “I would never have gotten involved with Tristan if I thought he was in a relationship.”
In her statement, Nichols also said Thompson asked her to see him in Houston for his birthday. Although he claimed she drove him to his birthday party, she explained that “he’s never been in my vehicle.” Nichols added that they were together again in Boston after his birthday, unlike Thompson’s declaration.
Why Maralee Nichols is speaking out against Tristan Thompson
During her statement to E!, Nichols explained she didn’t want the news surrounding her pregnancy to come to light. According to the model, she did “everything possible” not to draw any attention when she was pregnant. However, she decided to file her child support suit in California after Thompson’s initial lawsuit in Texas.
Due to a placenta abnormality, Nichols gave birth to her baby boy on Nov. 29, 2021. Now that her son is here, she said she wants to raise him and won’t seek any media opportunities.
“Instead of focusing on any negativity, I am choosing to embrace being a mother and doing the best I can for my son,” Nichols said. “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.”
Kardashian and Thompson started dating again during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Although they broke up in 2021, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star isn’t taking the news well. Thompson and Kardashian have a daughter together, True Thompson.