By DANIEL MATTHEWS, US SENIOR SPORTS WRITER
Published: 12:28 EDT, 13 March 2026 | Updated: 12:28 EDT, 13 March 2026
Luka Doncic has said basketball provides him with 'peace' as he deals with turmoil in his private life.
It emerged earlier this week that the Los Angeles Lakers superstar, 27, has separated from fashion and fitness model Anamaria Goltes, 28, after she filed a petition for child support and attorney fees from the Slovenian NBA player.
The couple, who have known each other since their youth, began dating in 2016 before getting engaged seven years into the relationship.
They welcomed their first daughter, Gabriela, in November 2023 and their second, Olivia, back in December.
Doncic has since been forced to shoot down rumors linking him with actress Madelyn Cline as speculation around his public split intensifies.
On Thursday, the NBA star was back on the court with the Lakers and after Los Angeles' win over the Bulls, he was asked about juggling his performances with off-court drama.
Luka Doncic said basketball provides him with 'peace' as he deals with turmoil in his private life
Childhood sweethearts Doncic and Anamaria Goltes have ended their engagement
Doncic announced on Tuesday he had made the 'tough decision' to end his engagement
'That's life, I don't know what to say,' he reportedly answered in Slovenian. 'But that's my job so I have to be here. They pay me a lot to play for them so... and also basketball is giving me some kind of peace when I play a game.'
Doncic announced on Tuesday he had made the 'tough decision' to end his engagement to focus on his children, following a decade-long romance with Goltes.
The split turned litigious when Goltes filed a petition in a California court seeking significant child support payments and coverage for her attorney fees. Per TMZ, court documents revealed that Goltes moved back to Slovenia with the couple's eldest daughter in May 2025 and has remained there ever since.
The 28-year-old fitness model gave birth to the pair's second daughter, Olivia, in December 2025, while the Lakers superstar was in the middle of his first season in LA.
The filing does not currently seek a formal custody order, only financial support, though Doncic is reportedly fighting to have his daughters with him in the United States.
The NBA star was reportedly involved in a dispute with Goltes after she gave birth to their second child, with police called to the hospital.
Doncic stepped away from the Los Angeles Lakers to be in Slovenia for the birth, missing games against the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics as a result.
And, according to ESPN, police were called to Kranj Maternity Hospital on December 6 following a disagreement between the Lakers guard and his then-partner.
Luka Doncic
Madelyn Cline
There is said to be 'absolutely nothing' going on between the NBA icon and the Netflix actress
During his visit, he is said to have expressed his desire to bring Gabriela back to the United States with him, which sparked the argument between him and Goltes, who reportedly called the police while still in hospital.
Doncic had 'peacefully left the hospital' before she made the call, ESPN claims, with cops later arriving at the scene to interview her. They are also understood to have interviewed the basketball player at his home.
Officers 'did not detect any elements of a criminal offense or misdemeanor' perpetrated by Doncic, according to the police report.
On Wednesday, meanwhile, TMZ reported on Wednesday that there is 'absolutely nothing' going on between the NBA icon and popular Netflix actress Cline.
NBALA Lakers