Bachelorette alum DeAnna Pappas’ ex-husband, Stephen Stagliano, revealed the Department of Child and Family Services launched an investigation over their children as part of his plea for child support, In Touch can exclusively report.
Stephen filed a declaration in court, obtained by In Touch, detailing his dire financial situation. DeAnna, 42, and Stephen, 41, wed in 2011 and split in 2023. They reached a settlement in the case in 2024.
The exes agreed to share joint legal and physical custody. Per their deal, neither parent was allowed to drink excessively while with the kids.
The agreement had Stephen paying $1,000 per month in child support and another $1,500 per month in spousal support.
As In Touch first reported, DeAnna was arrested in February after an altercation with Stephen during a custody exchange at her home.
She claimed Stephen demanded she come close to him to see if she had been drinking.
DeAnna said she had not been drinking but refused to comply. Stephen called the cops to accuse him of domestic violence. Meanwhile, she accused him of being the aggressor.
The police decided to book her on a misdemeanor charge. DeAnna was released from jail hours later. DeAnna claimed she took a voluntarily alcohol test after her release, which came back negative.
She also denied Stephen’s suggestions she had a problem with drinking.
She said, “I am not an alcoholic.” In another filing, DeAnna said, “The basis of [Stephen’s] is based on his fabrication that I am an alcoholic. This is wholly false and fabricated as way for [Stephen] to gain leverage in his attempt to alienate the children from me.”
DeAnna filed for a restraining order against Stephen but dropped it weeks later. She announced no criminal charges would be filed against her over the February arrest.
Now, in his new filing, Stephen accused DeAnna of having a “long history of alcohol abuse” which started in 2019. He said by 2022 she was “completely out of control.”
He denied her claims he had gotten physical with her during their marriage.
“We did have several heated conversations around DeAnna’s drinking where I begged her to stop. I have never placed my hands on DeAnna. [DeAnna] has made claims that an incident occurred during this time where I screamed at her while using my body to block her exit from the laundry room,” Stephen wrote.
“I did scream that ‘this is a f–king nightmare’ while DeAnna was in the laundry room because she was drinking every night and would pass out on the couch … it was completely tearing me apart,” he said.
“I have never put my hands on DeAnna nor would I ever do so.” He vehemently denied her other claims of assault. Stephen also claimed a Department of Child and Family Services investigation was launched after a therapist filed a report over DeAnna’s alleged behavior.
Stephen said the investigation is “ongoing.” He claimed that on the night of DeAnna’s arrest, she committed domestic abuse against him after he found wine bottles in her garage.
“She attacked me, pulled me by my beck and then started punching and slapping me with her left hand,” Stephen wrote.
He said it all happened in front of their daughter.
On top of that, he claimed that weeks later, on April 3, another incident occurred where he alleged her drinking caused a “dangerous situation” with their children. He said he received a call from their daughter who stated that DeAnna was getting ready to drive them to the airport but she believed DeAnna had been drinking.
Stephen said DeAnna refused his request to complete a SoberLink test. Stephen said due to his concern for the kids, he called the police to do a welfare check.
“Shortly after, I was made aware that DeAnna had fled the scene, leaving the children in the neighbor’s care for an undetermined amount of time without even consulting the neighbor!”
He added, “I immediately made my way to the neighbor’s to pick up my children while simultaneously updating the deputies arriving on scene of the unfolding situation,” Stephen said.
Stephen alleged, “About six hours later, [DeAnna] informed me that she went to the E.R. because ‘ she was sick’. The children were left scared, confused and upset.”
Stephen said he believes DeAnna will deny she has a problem and accuse him of abusing drugs and alcohol. He said he does not. Stephen added their children “clearly see that she has a problem” and that they do not want to be with her until she “gets better.”
Stephen said, “It is not my goal to take our children away from DeAnna.” Stephen asked that he be awarded child support for their two children: 11-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son.
“My financial situation has changed drastically; I am looking for work,” he said.
As In Touch first reported, Stephen was making around $4,000 as CEO/Founder of a gaming company but had to stop paying himself when the business ran out of funding. Stephen said he made $24,000 in 2024.
“Despite my change in income, I have not missed a single spousal support payment,” he said.
Stephen told the court he is almost done with Uber Drive onboarding and will begin driving next week “to earn supplemental income until I can find a full-time job.”
He blamed DeAnna’s drinking and constantly changing work schedule on his lack of employment.
DeAnna is best known for appearing on season 11 of The Bachelor. She was then selected to be the star of season 4 of The Bachelorette.
