Tristan Thompson and Khloe Kardashian have gone through a number of scandals throughout the years. But none were as big as his relationship with Maralee Nichols, which was exposed in December 2021 when she filed a paternity lawsuit after revealing she was pregnant with his baby.
Though Tristan originally denied that Maralee was pregnant with his child, he later confessed to cheating and issue a public apology to Khloe.
Since then, he’s been fighting Maralee in court to work out child support and custody.
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Surprisingly, Tristan and Khloe went on to welcome a second child of their own, though reports say they’re no longer romantically involved.
But the birth of their son has pushed the news of Tristan’s child with Maralee to the back burner, leading to speculation over whether the Kardashians had a hand in distracting from Tristan’s cheating scandal. Here’s what we know about the possibility Khloe paid (or tried to pay) Maralee off to keep the scandal from blowing up even more than it eventually did.
The Kardashians are known to have a tight hold on their images, and they’re not afraid to make people signs NDAs simply for coming into contact with them. Tristan’s affair with Maralee is arguably one of the biggest scandals in the family’s history. So, there’s been speculation about whether the Kardashians tried to intervene before the scandal made international headlines.
As portrayed in The Kardashians, the family didn’t seem to know about Tristan’s love child until Maralee filed a paternity lawsuit with the courts. Footage from the reality show depicts Kim calling her sisters upon finding out, including breaking the news to a heartbroken Khloe.
Based on this timeline, it appears the family had no opportunity to intervene before Maralee turned to the legal system, which subsequently publicized the case thanks to open court records.
But even after Tristan was exposed, it appears Khloe did little (if anything at all) to mitigate the fallout from the scandal. According to reports, the reality star has had no contact with Maralee and that her kids with Tristan have never met their half-brother, Theo.
“Khloe knows firsthand how very important it is to have a close relationship with your siblings and she would never want to deny her children this,” a source told Hollywood Life.
Khloe has ensured her kids have a bond with Tristan’s oldest child, son Prince, whom he shares with his ex-girlfriend Jordan Craig. Tristan and Khloe got together when Jordan was expecting.
While Khloe’s kids haven’t gotten the chance to meet their newest half-brother, the insider says that Khloe is opened to it.
“For True and her son to get to know their other siblings, Khloe knows that she first has to get to know Maralee, as she already has a friendly repertoire with Jordan,” the insider explained.
“She has been putting this off and putting this off, but she is ready to meet Maralee and ready for her kids to meet their brother. She thinks that it would be wonderful for True and True’s baby brother to have a play date with Theo.”
Khloe may be open to having some communication in the future, but it appears she’s taking things slowly. If she hasn’t reached out yet for the sake of the kids, it’s even more unlikely she’s made contact with Maralee in order to pay her off.
Tristan Thompson Pays A Lot In Child Support
Khloe may not have paid Maralee off, but Tristan was recently ordered to pay a substantial amount in child support.
In December, the NBA star was ordered to pay $10,000 per month for Theo. He was also ordered to pay some of Maralee’s legal fees.
Maralee currently has full custody of the 1-year-old, though a court will determine a visitation schedule for Tristan at a later date. According to reports, Tristan still hasn’t met the son he shares with Maralee.
“Tristan is very absent from Theo’s life. He hasn’t met Theo nor has he initiated any meetings,” a source told Us Weekly in June. “He doesn’t have any immediate plans to meet his son face to face.”
Khloe Kardashian May Still Be Involved With Tristan Thompson
Tristan has cheated on Khloe multiple times over the years, but many fans figured they were over for good after he conceived a child with Maralee while in a relationship with Khloe.
However, the pair shocked the world when they announced they were expecting a second child via surrogate in mid-2022. Khloe’s representative later confirmed she was unaware of Tristan’s other child with Maralee when the surrogate got pregnant.
Tristan and Khloe welcomed a son in August 2022, though sources said they had very little communication leading up to the birth. Nevertheless, there was speculation as to whether these two would rekindle their romance, given their on-and-off history.
Khloe later denied rumors that they were still hooking up when she took a lie detector test in December, which she passed. But she was at Tristan’s side only weeks later following the untimely passing of his mother. Even if they’re not involved romantically, Tristan and Khloe remain close (closer than he is with his other baby mamas), which is saying a lot given their history.
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