Exclusive: Lance Stephenson Takes The Stand In Child Support Battle

Lance Stephenson outside Brooklyn Family Court June 14. (Photo Credit Jennifer H. Cunningham)

NBA Star Wants To Keep His $6,000 A Month Child Support As Is

Lance Stephenson testified that although his baby mama wants him to double her child support to help her and their two kids move to a safer neighborhood, it was her idea to move to the bad area in the first place.

Stephenson took the stand Tuesday in Brooklyn Family Court in his child support battle against his children’s mother Feby Torres, who sued Stephenson to up their current $6,000 a month child support agreement for their children, Layla and Lance Jr. Torres said earlier this year that gun violence plagued her Brooklyn neighborhood, and she needed the child support increase in part to find a safer place to live.

But the Coney Island phenom testified that Torres decided on the apartment’s location without him.

“I want my kids to be happy,” the $9 million a year athlete said from the witness stand. “I want them to be in the best possible position. She picked that place. I didn’t pick that place.”

Stephenson’s lawyer Laurence Greenberg said Stephenson loves his kids and told Torres if she needed anything outside of what child support provided, she could have it as long as Torres’ lawyer put it in writing. However Greenberg said he hasn’t received any requests.

Greenberg kept interrupting Torres’ lawyer Dan Notes as he grilled Stephenson about things like texts he sent Torres about losing his friends to gun violence, a promise that he made in writing to provide Torres with an apartment and whether or not he got paid for hosting club gigs.

“What does this have to do with helping my kids?” Stephenson said when asked about his club appearances.

Stephenson’s testimony also shed light into his luxurious lifestyle: The Brooklyn baller said he pays $7,500 a month for his townhouse rental in California, $1,200 a month for his live-in assistant, $6,000 on food, more than $9,000 towards his fleet of cars and $5,000 to support another daughter. He said he also gives his 10-year-old brother $200 a month for his schooling.

The trial is scheduled to wrap up this afternoon. The judge will then make a decision.