Tristan Thompson's Texas Paternity Suit Thrown Out, As Maralee Nichols Fires Back

On Friday, the NBA star's alleged baby mamma finally broke her silence on the affair, in the wake of Thompson's not-so-flattering account that appeared in court documents earlier this week.

In a statement to E! News, Nichols took issue with a number of allegations in Thompson's statements — including the claim her birth had to be induced because she had herpes.

"Over the past couple of weeks, many inaccurate and false stories have been circulated about me," she 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."

"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)."

She doubled down on her claim they met at a party at his house in Encino, California — which he denies — and took issue with him calling her a personal trainer.

"These are the facts: 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," she added.

"I saw Tristan in March 2021 around his birthday. He told me he had wanted to see me," Nichols continued. "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."

Thompson claims the last time they had sex was the night of his birthday on March 13, 2020 — the night he believes the child, if his, was conceived.

But Nichols insists she saw him (although she does not mention if they were intimate) a number of times after that, in Boston, and North Carolina, again at his behest.

It was between these two trips she claims she discovered she was pregnant, and she informed him to his face during the latter.

"I told him the news of my pregnancy in person in North Carolina," she said. "Despite the challenges that I know I would have as a single mother and Tristan's reaction to my pregnancy, I told Tristan I would be having the baby. Tristan has not helped me financially with my pregnancy or with our baby; I have paid 100% for my son's expenses. I did not ask Tristan for any money, nor did I accept any money that was offered to me."

Nichols claimed to the outlet she did "everything possible" not to draw attention to herself throughout the pregnancy.

"Tristan filed a paternity action in Texas after I filed my paternity action in Los Angeles," she said. "I did not file any request for child support before our child was born. The case that Tristan brought against me was dismissed on December 15, 2021."

In the court documents published by the Daily Mail earlier this week, Thompson alleged the medical reason Nichols was induced was because she had herpes.

"I was induced on November 29, 2021 because I had a placenta abnormality," she countered. "There is no other medical reason why I needed to be induced."

Nichols claimed elsewhere in her statement, per People, that Tristan told her he was "single and co-parenting" — presumably referring to Khloe Kardashian, although she does not mention her by name.

"I would never have gotten involved with Tristan if I thought he was in a relationship," she said.

She also denied Thompson's claims they only ever communicated through Snapchat, to arrange the where and when of hook-ups.

"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," she added. "He invited me to see him Christmas, New Years, and his birthday."

Along with the statement, Nichols also provided the first ever pic of the baby to E!, as she cradled the boy next to a Christmas tree.

"I gave birth on December 1, 2021," she added. "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."

It also emerged on Friday, as Nichols mentions in her statement, that Thompson's bid to have the ongoing paternity case heard in Texas had failed.

Thompson had been pushing for Houston, which he claims is the only place the child — if indeed it is proven to be his — could have been conceived. Nichols claimed his only reason for doing so is to save money on child support.

But during a virtual hearing on Wednesday attended by both parties, a judge threw out Thompson's paternity lawsuit and child support case filed in Texas, Us Weekly reported.

"Regardless of whether any act of conception occurred in Texas that could have led to the conception of the child, they [allegedly] had a lengthy relationship spanning multiple states," the source told the outlet following the hearing.

"The child was born in California, the mother resides there and so does Tristan. It would make sense the judge would dismiss this given the facts and the California lawsuit filed prior to the Texas one."