Maralee Nichols’ name has made plenty of headlines over the past few weeks, but not all of them have been true. Now, the woman who alleges that Tristan Thompson is the father of her recently born baby, is setting the record straight.
In an official statement to E! News, Nichols opened up about the birth of her child, the ongoing lawsuit between her and the NBA star, and clarified what’s actually true of what’s been reported thus far, and what isn’t. “Over the past couple of weeks, many inaccurate and false stories have been circulated about me,” the mother of one told the outlet.
“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 continued, liking referring to Snapshot screenshots that have been floating around in which the Canadian athlete allegedly told Nichols that he wanted no part of the baby’s life.
Nichols added, “I have seen fake stories, unflattering photos of me, people using photos that are not even me, stating an incorrect occupation and age. There have been multiple fake Instagram posts claiming to be me, making false statements and attaching stock photos of a sonogram and a child (neither mine).”
Wanting to make sure that people have all the correct facts, the new mother clarified, “I have lived in California since 2019. I am not a personal trainer. I have not worked as a personal trainer for four years; I do fitness modeling. I was never a personal trainer for Tristan.” Nichols told E! that she and Thompson met at a party at his home in Encino, California, where he told her that he was single and co-parenting his two other children with their respective mothers.
“I saw Tristan in March 2021 around his birthday. He told me he had wanted to see me,” she recalled. “I agreed to meet him in Houston at a private party on March 12. I never drove a Maserati to meet Tristan, as he claimed. He has never even been in my vehicle. I used an Uber or was driven by friends that weekend. Houston was one of many nights we spent together. Soon after his birthday weekend in Houston, Tristan invited me to visit him in Boston.”
The fitness model revealed that she learned she was pregnant just a few weeks after the aforementioned Boston trip. She told the NBA star about her pregnancy in North Carolina after he invited her to see him once again. Nichols also shared that she did “everything possible” to avoid attracting too much attention while she was pregnant, which is likely why we’re only just hearing about it now.
“I was induced on November 29, 2021 because I had a placenta abnormality. There is no other medical reason why I needed to be induced. I gave birth on December 1, 2021. 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.”
PEOPLE reports that Nichols also just shared a sweet Christmas photo of her new arrival – check it out here.
[Via]
