Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce

Former NBA player Paul Pierce has told a court he is "tapped out" financially and struggling to meet ongoing support obligations after his income from Fox Sports ended, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.

Pierce, 49, said his last check from the network arrived in August. Court filings state that his average monthly income had been $119,000 while the Fox Sports payments continued, but that figure is now zero from that source. He reported earning about $23,000 the previous month from partnership interests in other business ventures. He listed $300,000 in the bank and $3 million in property.

The filings say Pierce pays roughly $28,000 per month in child support and another $20,000 per month in spousal support. He also described monthly expenses of about $48,000 that include approximately $8,000 in childcare, $5,000 in groceries, $7,000 on eating out, $3,200 on utilities, $1,000 on clothes, $3,500 on entertainment, and various other costs.

Pierce is asking the court to reject a request from his ex-partner, Princess Santiago, for $40,000 in legal fees and $10,000 for a forensic accountant. Santiago has alleged that Pierce has not fully produced financial records, including information related to a cannabis business, Fox Sports earnings, and an ownership interest in a commercial property. Pierce's attorney said in the filing that Pierce would have "great difficulty" covering those additional amounts because the Fox Sports contract was terminated and that he is "drowning financially" while trying to keep up with existing monetary obligations.

Earlier in the case, a judge ordered Pierce to pay $8,508 per month in temporary child support for the couple's son, King, along with $100,000 toward Santiago's legal fees. Santiago had initially sought roughly $30,000 a month in child support. Prior financial disclosures in the matter showed Pierce averaging between $128,000 and $165,000 per month in income during 2025 and the first half of 2026 from a combination of Fox Sports work, commissions, DraftKings royalties, Fanatics, NBA Properties, YouTube, and his show "No Fouls Given."

Pierce has maintained that his post-retirement earnings are substantially lower than the more than $195 million he earned over a 19-year NBA career that included a championship with the Boston Celtics, 10 All-Star selections, and induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He has also cited support obligations for other children. The current filings emphasize the end of the Fox Sports income stream as the primary change in his monthly cash flow.

The dispute has included earlier motions in which Santiago sought additional documentation and enforcement of the prior forensic-accountant fee. Pierce has opposed further fee awards, arguing that his present resources do not support the amounts requested. The court has not yet ruled on Santiago's latest request for the additional legal and accounting fees.

Pierce's NBA career ended after the 2016-17 season. He later worked as an analyst and host for Fox Sports before that arrangement concluded. The court documents do not detail the precise reasons for the termination of the Fox Sports payments beyond stating that the contract ended and that the final check arrived in August. Pierce continues to list income from other partnership interests, though at a level far below the previous monthly average tied to the network.

The filings present Pierce's position that the combination of support payments and listed living expenses exceeds his current monthly receipts, leaving limited liquidity. Santiago's side has argued that incomplete records prevent a full assessment of his income and assets. Both the temporary support order and the outstanding legal-fee awards remain in place pending further proceedings.

No hearing date on the newest fee request was specified in the documents reported by TMZ. The case continues to center on the calculation of support based on verified current income and the completeness of financial disclosure. Pierce's statements in the filings frame the loss of the Fox Sports income as the decisive factor in his claimed inability to meet additional costs while maintaining existing obligations.