Bachelorette alum DeAnna Pappas accused her ex-husband, Stephen Stagliano, of owing $23,000 in back child support as he takes up driving for Uber to make money after being unemployed for months, Us Weekly can exclusively report.
On June 12, Pappas filed a declaration as part of her custody and support battle with Stagliano, opposing his request to modify the $2,500 a month he pays in support.
“[Stagliano] has regularly asked me for financial assistance in addition to demanding that the children take items from my home that I purchased to his home,” Pappas, 43, alleged.
She said Stagliano, 41, has “never paid child support since he agreed to do so. At this point, [Stagliano] is $23,000 behind on child support payments, so his request to modify this makes sense.”
Pappas added, “[Stagliano] has never paid for a haircut or clothing for the children.” She also asked that a hearing on the matter be postponed to allow her to collect financial information from her ex.
Former Bachelorette DeAnna Pappas has continued to make headlines in the wake of her February 2025 arrest. Us Weekly confirmed that Pappas was arrested on February 27 following an alleged incident with her ex-husband, Stephen Stagliano, which apparently occurred when he came to pick up their daughter, Addison. (The former couple are also the parents […]
In her filing, she said, “I have done everything I can possibly think of to work cooperatively with [Stagliano] and he has done everything in his power to do the opposite and to withhold and alienate my children from me.”
Pappas also claimed that Stagliano breached their custody deal by failing to submit to a drug test. She said a provision in the agreement called for Stagliano and any member of his household to be drug tested.
Stephen Stagliano and DeAnna Pappas Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
She said Stagliano, his live-in girlfriend and mother and father, who she said her ex plans to live with, have yet to take the test that “was required and agreed to.”
Pappas objected to Stagliano’s request to lower his child support. She said he voluntarily quit his job.
She said, “I understand the Court should consider earning capacity where the supporting spouse demonstrates a willful intention to avoid fulfilling his support obligation through quitting his job. Where [Stagliano] elects to voluntarily leave his high-paying job, and thereby is unable to support his children, the court should input his historical income before he quit his job.
She also told the court, “[Stagliano’s] claim that I have been drinking heavily since 2019 is not true.”
Former Bachelorette star DeAnna Pappas celebrated her son Austin’s 9th birthday following her recent arrest. “Baby Austin gets me every time,” Pappas, 43, captioned a throwback photo of her son via her Instagram Story on Sunday, March 16. A second image showed Austin sitting in front of an Oreo-covered birthday cake while blowing out a […]
Pappas said, “My misuse of alcohol did not begin until 2021 after years of relational trauma and [alleged abuse] by Stagliano.”
In response, Stagliano claimed he was last employed as CEO of a gaming company. “I am no longer generating income. My last paycheck was $3,750 … on March 1st.”
“I am actively looking for a job, and it is very difficult to do so when the kids are in my care full-time. I have applied to over 50 jobs with no success,” he told the court. “I will start driving Uber next week to generate income.”
He said he has $16,802 in the bank but no assets. Stagliano said his monthly expenses total $8,781 and he owes nearly $20,000 on a car and credit card debt. He said the children have lived with him full-time since April 3.
As Us first reported, Pappas earns around $14,000 per month as a flight attendant.
The judge has yet to rule.
DeAnna Pappas and Stephen Stagliano Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Baby2Baby
The exes wed in 2011 and split in 2023. They share two minor children, Addison and Austin. Pappas and Stagliano worked out a divorce settlement in June 2023.
Per their deal, they agreed to share joint legal and physical custody of their kids. Stagliano agreed to pay $1,000 per month in child support and another $1,500 in spousal support.
Pappas and Stagliano have been in and out of court for months. The former reality star was arrested in April after an incident during a custody exchange at her home. No charges were filed over the incident.
Stagliano accused Pappas of having issues with drinking, which she previously denied.
After the arrest, Pappas and Stagliano agreed to a custody deal with specific provisions about drinking.
DeAnna Pappas detailed her coparenting dynamic with ex-husband Stephen Stagliano — and her hopes for their kids’ future — in her recent restraining order filing. Pappas, 43, claimed in her Friday, March 7, filing that Stagliano’s alleged “past mental health issues do not mean that I do not think he is a good father.” The […]
In a recent motion, Pappas said she violated the deal on April 3 when she drank around the kids. She asked the court to reinstate her custody of the children. Pappas accused her ex of denying her regular access to the children despite her being sober for over 60 days.
“Although he acknowledged I was testing clean and participating in recovery, he unilaterally withdrew parenting time after my April 3, 2025, missed test without any basis to continue doing so,” Pappas said.
“Stephen’s repeated reversals show a clear pattern of gatekeeping that harms the children and interferes with our bond,” she added.
Stagliano told the court he was supportive of Pappas’ “early recovery efforts,” but it was not enough to prove “sustained sobriety.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health and/or substance use, you are not alone. Seek immediate intervention — call 911 for medical attention; 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline; or 1-800-662-HELP for the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Helpline. Carrying naloxone (Narcan) can help reverse an opioid overdose.