DeAnna Pappas Marks Son Austin’s 9th Birthday Just Weeks Following Her Arrest
Former Bachelorette star DeAnna Pappas celebrated her son Austin’s 9th birthday shortly after her recent arrest.
“Baby Austin gets me every time,” Pappas, 43, shared a nostalgic photo of her son on her Instagram Story on Sunday, March 16. A subsequent image featured Austin in front of a birthday cake adorned with Oreos, blowing out the candle marked “9” to commemorate his special day.
Though Pappas did not include a caption for this image, she added an animated “9” in reference to her son’s age.
This celebration occurred shortly after news emerged of Pappas’s arrest on February 27 following an incident involving her ex-husband, Stephen Stagliano. Along with Austin, Pappas co-parents their 11-year-old daughter, Addison.
Court documents obtained by Us Weekly earlier this month indicated that Lynn Stagliano—believed to be Stephen’s mother—filed a declaration during the divorce proceedings stating that she visited Pappas’ residence in late February and “very clearly smelled alcohol” on the reality star’s breath.
The documents claimed that Lynn took Austin with her on February 26, while Stephen returned that night to retrieve Addison. Pappas asserted that she had escorted Addison to his car. (In Touch first reported this news.)
“Stephen told me I needed to step closer to him because he wanted to smell my breath to ensure I wasn’t drunk. I hadn’t had any alcohol. I disregarded Stephen’s remark and walked back into the garage,” she alleged, claiming that Stephen left their daughter in the car and began taking items from her garage.
“I attempted to close my garage door. Stephen pushed it up so it wouldn’t shut,” she continued. “I yelled at Stephen to leave my garage. He refused to comply.”
Pappas claimed that Addison recorded the encounter on her phone, stating that Stephen had grabbed and shoved her during the dispute. He reportedly called the police and characterized Pappas as “the aggressor.”
“I was never asked to undergo alcohol testing despite Stephen’s accusations,” she stated. “In fact, the officer who arrested me showed no concern regarding my sobriety.”
Pappas was arrested on a misdemeanor charge and released after posting a $20,000 bond. She has since denied any allegations of a drinking problem in her legal response.
She was part of Brad Womack’s season of The Bachelor in 2007 and became the Bachelorette in 2008. After breaking up with her final rose winner, Jesse Csincsak, she married Stephen in October 2011; they announced their separation in January 2023, and their divorce was finalized in June 2024.
Moreover, Pappas has filed a restraining order against Stephen, with a hearing scheduled for later this month.
