Lamar Odom Reacts to Latest Tristan Thompson, Khloe Kardashian Drama

Lamar Odom is defending ex-wife Khloé Kardashian after Tristan Thompson confirmed Monday that he fathered a child with another woman while dating the Keeping Up With the Kardashians alum. The former Los Angeles Lakers player, who was married to Kardashian from 2009 to 2016, commented on a news story about Thompson on Facebook shortly after the Sacramento Kings player admitted he was the father to Maralee Nichols’ newborn son. 

“I truly wish nothing but the best for her and I’m hoping we can reconnect and talk one day as friends,” Odom’s official Facebook page commented, as first reported by Comments By Celebs. “She is a good person and deserves the world.” Commenters were not having it, with one person responding, “Lamar has reentered the game. shoot your shot I guess lol,” and another adding, “This is the energy we DON’T need in 2022.”

Thompson was named late last year in a lawsuit filed by Nichols, who claimed she and the NBA player conceived a child in March 2021, when he was still publicly with Kardashian. The athlete is also father to the Good American co-founder’s 3-year-old daughter True as well as 5-year-old son Prince with ex Jordan Craig. Despite previously denying Nichols’ claims of paternity, Thompson announced Monday in a statement to Instagram that the test results had proven him wrong.

“I fathered a child with Maralee Nichols. I take full responsibility for my actions. Now that paternity has been established I look forward to amicably raising our son,” the father of three wrote on his Story Monday. “I sincerely apologize to everyone I’ve hurt or disappointed throughout this ordeal both publicly and privately.” 

Addressing Kardashian specifically, he continued, “Khloé, you don’t deserve this. You don’t deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you. You don’t deserve the way I have treated you over the years. My actions certainly have not lined up with the way I view you. I have the utmost respect and love for you. Regardless of what you may think. Again, I am so incredibly sorry.”

Following Thompson’s statement, a rep for Nichols told PEOPLE, “There was never any doubt that Tristan Thompson was the father of Maralee Nichol’s baby. Tristan made numerous false and defamatory statements and declarations about Maralee over the past few months, and she is taking his contrite statement today in the context of all of those statements.”