Paul Pierce says his Fox Sports paychecks stopped and his monthly income dropped from about $119,000 to nearly nothing. His lawyer made the claim in a new court filing, according to TMZ, and the numbers raise questions of their own.
Paul Pierce Fox Sports Pay Stops, Filing Says
TMZ obtained the court documents and published its report early Tuesday, Oct. 27. Pierce says his last Fox Sports paycheck arrived in August. He reports average monthly income of $119,000 from the network, and he now lists that figure as zero. He told the court he earned about $23,000 last month from partnership interests in other businesses.
His attorney filed the papers to fight a request from Princess Santiago, the mother of his young son. She wants Pierce to cover $40,000 in additional legal fees and $10,000 for a forensic accountant. The accountant would review his finances, because she argues he has not fully disclosed them. Pierce asks the court to deny both requests. His attorney says paying would cause him real difficulty and describes him as “drowning financially.”
Reports do not say when or why the Fox contract ended. Yardbarker’s syndicated Hoops Wire story says Pierce joined Fox Sports in 2024 as his first regular television role since ESPN let him go in 2021. EssentiallySports adds that Fox canceled the FS1 show Speak, where he served as a panelist, in July 2025. The filing, as reported, describes the contract as terminated and does not date that decision.
Inside The Paul Pierce Financial Disclosure Numbers
TMZ reports that Pierce lists about $28,000 per month in child support and about $20,000 per month in spousal support. He also claims roughly $48,000 in monthly expenses, including about $8,000 for childcare, $5,000 for groceries, $7,000 for eating out, $3,200 for utilities, $1,000 for clothes, and $3,500 for entertainment. On the asset side, he lists about $300,000 in the bank and about $3 million in property.
The reports contain gaps worth flagging. TMZ itself notes that the $28,000 child support figure differs from the $8,508 monthly amount a judge ordered temporarily, and the story does not explain the difference. Fadeaway World points out that its headline figure of $75,000 in monthly bills does not match the support and expense numbers cleanly. Outlets also disagree on whether the $48,000 in expenses includes the support payments or sits on top of them. Yardbarker describes the $48,000 as other bills beyond support, while Fadeaway lists the same amount as expenses and as combined support.
Relationship labels vary too. TMZ calls Santiago his ex-wife. Fadeaway World does not use that label and describes her as the mother of his son, and it spells her first name Princeton. No report explains the spousal support line. Treat all figures as Pierce’s own claims, because no outlet verified them against the filing itself.
Court Timeline Behind The Pierce Money Fight
EssentiallySports lays out the history. Santiago filed a paternity suit in January 2026 while pregnant. Their son arrived in February. In April, Pierce acknowledged paternity and asked for joint custody, while Santiago seeks sole custody. She first asked for nearly $30,000 per month in child support. Pierce countered with about $4,145, citing his four older children and her income of more than $400,000 a year. The judge settled on a temporary order of $8,508 per month in child support, plus $100,000 toward her legal fees.
The accountant request carries its own wrinkle. TMZ describes the $10,000 forensic accountant as a new ask. EssentiallySports says the earlier temporary order already covered $10,000 for an accountant, and that Santiago returned to court in October claiming Pierce never paid it. The two accounts cannot both describe the same step, and the filing itself would settle it.
TMZ pegs Pierce’s NBA earnings near $200 million. Pierce argues past earnings do not reflect his current income. The filing, according to Fadeaway World, does not show he lost his fortune or filed for bankruptcy. It shows a fight over whether he must fund more of the other side’s costs.
What To Watch In The Paul Pierce Court Fight
The judge now decides whether Pierce must pay the extra $40,000 and the accountant fee. If the court grants the accountant, expect a closer look at his business partnerships, since that $23,000 monthly figure comes from interests he has not detailed in public reports.
Also watch how Pierce’s side reconciles its numbers. A $119,000 monthly income, a $300,000 bank balance, and $48,000 in support obligations tell different stories depending on which figures apply. Santiago’s team already argues he plays games with his records, per TMZ. A forensic review would test that claim directly. For Pierce, the public side matters as well. A former NBA star telling a court he is tapped out lands badly next to reports of a $200 million career.
