Tristan Thompson paid an emotional tribute to his late mother, Andrea Thompson, reflecting on his errors and the man he aspires to be.
“Dearest mommy in heaven, It has been one month since you’ve been gone. I’m in disbelief. I’m in the deepest part of sorrow & grief,” the NBA star, 31, began in the heart-wrenching post, which he shared via Instagram on Sunday, February 5.
“My soul is empty as I come to terms that my biggest supporter/superhero is gone. I cannot thank you enough for always being a woman of faith, being one of God’s warriors, and fighting back against whatever the world threw our way.
You constantly protected us through prayer. My hero, you fought all the battles you needed to and it was time for you to go home.”
Tristan, the oldest of four children — Andrea also had sons Dishawn, Daniel, and Amari — praised his late mother for “picking me as [her] son,” noting how she “committed [her] life to [her] boys & the church.” He referred to her as a “role model, closest friend, and the strongest woman I know.”
According to Yahoo News, the former Chicago Bulls star also apologized to Andrea in his lengthy letter for the sins he did in his life.
(Though Tristan did not specify, he has repeatedly made news for his repeated infidelity, including fathering 14-month-old Theo with Maralee Nichols while still in a relationship with Khloé Kardashian, with whom he had daughter True, 4, and a baby boy, 7 months. He is also a dad of son Prince, 6, with ex Jordan Craig.)
“All I can say is, I’m a sorry mommy for the wrong decisions I’ve made in my life. I’m sorry for the embarrassment & pain.
You raised me better than what I was able to show you,” the Canadian native penned. “But I have also learned sorry is not enough. Actions speak louder than words.
So I won’t just say sorry. Stay tuned to the ways I will show the world what an amazing son you raised. I will show you that even when we fall & make mistakes, we get back up.
You are my motivation. Stand beside me as I become the man I know you always believed in. I’m going to make you proud, I promise!”
Tristan also promised Andrea that his youngest brother, who has epilepsy, “is going to be taken care of.”
Speaking of 16-year-old Amari, the basketball star wrote, “I’ll protect him, love him & do anything in the world to make sure he’s ok.”
Tristan’s remarks about his younger brother echo those of Khloé, who paid tribute to Andrea earlier this month after attending her funeral alongside her sister Kim Kardashian.
“I know you never wanted to leave your boys,” the Good American cofounder, 38, wrote via Instagram at the time. “They are your entire world.
They will learn to live with the hole in their hearts because they are warriors just like their warrior mommy. Just know, I promise you, Amari will be perfectly ok.
We will all look after him, help him and protect him. Your boys will be ok because they have their guardian Angel by their side.”
Andrea suffered a heart attack on January 5 at her Toronto home, according to TMZ.
