By ALEX RASKIN, US SPORTS NEWS EDITOR
Published: 16:48 EST, 26 January 2026 | Updated: 16:51 EST, 26 January 2026
Boston Celtics great and NBA champion Paul Pierce is facing a paternity lawsuit in California from woman who claims the divorced father of three is also dad to her unborn child.
According to a January 12 lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County and obtained by the Daily Mail, Princess Santiago is asking the court to force 48-year-old Pierce to take a paternity test.
'I filed for paternity papers after multiple attempts to resolve this privately,' Santiago said in a statement. 'Paul Pierce is the father of my son, King, and I am simply asking for a paternity test so the truth can be confirmed.'
'This isn't about drama or attention — it's about accountability and doing what's right for my child.'
Pierce's attorney declined comment to TMZ. The Daily Mail has also sought comment with an attorney who previously represented Pierce in another matter.
This is the latest in a string of public embarrassments for Pierce.
Boston Celtics great and NBA champion Paul Pierce is facing a paternity lawsuit
Princess Santiago is asking the court to force 48-year-old Pierce to take a paternity test
In October, he was charged with one count of driving under the influence of alcohol and one count of driving with .08 per cent blood alcohol content after he was found asleep at the wheel of his Range Rover SUV in the middle of a traffic-jammed highway.
On the night of his arrest, California Highway Patrol shut down multiple lanes of Highway 101 to investigate a crash. It left Pierce and many other motorists stuck in gridlocked traffic for nearly an hour.
When the highway was re-opened at around 10:30pm local time, Pierce was found sleeping at the wheel just south of the crash.
Pierce posted an image of rows and rows of cars with brake lights on and captioned it: 'Imagine being stuck in stand still traffic for 45 mins and falling asleep.'
After being taken into custody, Pierce posted on social media that he simply fell asleep for 'being old and tired.'
'I took this picture that night because I never been in stand still traffic for this long,' he said.
'I'm old, I'm tired, and I fell asleep. I'm good y'all thanks for the love.'
The California Highway Patrol claimed that Pierce, who provided officers with a blood test, showed signs of alcohol impairment when they approached his vehicle.
Santiago is an LA-based event coordinator, according to her various online profiles
Pierce posted this photo to Threads, saying he fell asleep after sitting in 45 minutes of traffic
Pierce has pleaded not guilty in the case.
Since retiring in 2017, the 48-year-old California native has worked as an NBA analyst for two sports cable stations, both of which ultimately fired him.
In 2021, Pierce was let go by ESPN after livestreaming himself playing poker with bikini-clad women as the group enjoyed some alcohol and marijuana.
The Truth, as he was known during his playing days, resurfaced at FS1 in 2024, where he served as a regular contributor on Undisputed with Skip Bayless.
That show was later cancelled and Pierce moved to another show, Speak, which was also shut down.
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