Maralee Nicholshas shared the first photo of the child she claims to share withTristan Thompson.
In the photo taken Dec. 6 (five days after the child’sbirth on Dec. 1), Nichols is cradling the child, whose face cannot be seen. She is wearing a Grinch-themed pajama set and sitting in front of Christmas tree decked out in silver, gold and white decorations.
“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 in her statement. “I do not want any further media attention, nor do I want a romantic relationship with Tristan.”
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She continued, “My goal is to raise our son in a safe, healthy, loving and private environment.”
Maralee Nichols
In Nichols' original paternity lawsuit, she asked Thompson, 30, for child support and pregnancy-related fees.
The dismissal of Thompson’s parallel suit in Texas means the paternity case will likely be handled in L.A.
Thompson previouslydeniedhaving sex with Nichols in California, claiming that the “only” possible date of conception for the child is March 13, 2021, which is his birthday. In previous court documents and in Friday’s statement, Nichols said the child was conceived in April.
Tristan Thompson and Khloé Kardashian.Jerritt Clark/Getty ; Vivien Killilea/Getty
In March 2021, Thompson was publicly dating Khloé Kardashian. A source previously told PEOPLE that theKeeping Up with the Kardashiansalum, 37, and Thompson officially split in June. The exes share a 3-year-old daughter True. (Thompson is also dad to son Prince, 5, whose mother is ex Jordan Craig.)
In court documents, Thompson claimed he only communicated with Nicholsvia Snapchat, the photo messaging app that automatically deletes messages after they’re read, and repeatedly asserted that his relationship with Nichols was “based on sex only.”
“We did not have any dates in the traditional sense at any time; there were no dining at restaurants, going to movies, traveling or any other indicia of a normalized relationship,” he said. “There was only Snapchats of ‘where’ and ‘what time’ we would hook up and what hotels would be used.”
In her statement on Friday, Nichols disputed Thompson’s claim that their past was “based on sex only.”
“Tristan told me he was not having a sexual relationship with anyone else; it was not casual sex nor did we have any arrangement. Tristan and I communicated daily and talked on the phone. We would see each other several times a month,” Nichols said, denying that theycommunicated solely through Snapchat.
Tristan Thompson.Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty
The Sacramento Kings power forward has requested a paternity test for Nichols' newborn.
Attorneys for Thompson had not responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment at time of publication.
source: people.com
