“Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” star DeAnna Pappas, who first appeared in the reality television franchise during the 2007 season of “The Bachelor,” looking for love with lead Brad Womack, officially filed for divorce from her husband after 11 years of marriage.
Now, according to legal documents, obtained by The Blast, Pappas’ ex, Stephen Stagliano, is fighting for joint custody of their children.
Stephen Stagliano Fights For Joint Custody Of Children Following Divorce
According to Stagliano’s response, obtained by The Blast, both he and Pappas could get spousal support.
Stagliano also stated “irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split,” and states that the they separated in August of last year although Pappas just formally ended the marriage after she filed a dissolution of marriage in Los Angeles County Courts at the end of January 2023.
Stagliano claims their separate and community property in their marriage is yet to be determined and he is demanding his ex, DeAnna Pappas, to pay his attorney’s fees.
DeAnna Pappas Announces Divorce From Stephen Stagliano
As previously reported by The Blast, last month the “Bachelorette” star announced she and her husband would be getting divorced in a post on social media.
“It is with immense sadness, Stephen & I have decided to end our relationship as a couple,” she wrote on Instagram. “We have been working hard for a long time — both as a married couple & as individuals — & have come to the conclusion to remain separate.”
The former reality television star added, “We remain loving parents to our beautiful children, Addison & Austin, & will continue to raise them together with love & faith. We ask you to respect our privacy during this difficult time as we navigate the new normal. We want to thank our dear friends & family for your endless support & many, many prayers during what has become the most difficult time of our lives.”
The news came as a shock as in October 2022, just months before Pappas announced their split, she and Stagliano renewed their wedding vows. “Sometimes it was easy & sometimes it was hard. Very hard. But I wouldn’t change it for the world,” she wrote on Instagram at the time.
Pappas Open Up About Marriage Struggles
Pappas first met Stagliano through his twin brother, Michael Stagliano, at a Bachelor Nation event. Michael was a contestant on the ABC reality show, “The Bachelorette,” during Season 5.
The two have been open about their relationship with their fans since the beginning, even admitting that “marriage is not always easy.”
“It’s actually really difficult at times,” the former reality television star wrote in a 2018 blog post. “Stephen and I are committed to one another and making our marriage work on a daily basis,” she wrote in an October 2018 blog post. “We work very hard to parent together so there is never a ‘good cop’ or ‘bad cop’ in our household. We try to have ‘facetime’ every day to communicate. Most of all, we put The Lord first in our household. We try to let Him guide us in all that we do.”
DeAnna Pappas officially filed a dissolution of marriage in Los Angeles County Courts at the end of January 2023.
