Hall of Famer Paul Pierce has made some eyebrow-raising comments over the years, and he delivered another one on the latest episode of his Truth After Dark podcast. When speaking with co-host Azar Farideh on the subject of testing your partner in a relationship, Pierce had some pretty bad advice for men on how they can find out if a woman really loves them.
“If you really want to know if a girl love you, you need to go out and cheat on her,” Pierce said. “Let’s see. If you really want to know if a girl love you for real, go cheat on her and see how she react. Now we gonna see what’s real.”
Farideh, who doesn’t believe partners should be actively testing each other, understandably wasn’t a fan of this piece of advice.
“If that girl loves herself more than you, then you ain’t go no chance in the world,” Farideh said. “… So, you want to be with a woman with low self-esteem? That’s the type of advice you’re giving young men.”
Pierce, who played 19 seasons in the NBA, stated that a woman should love herself more, but didn’t feel this had anything to do with low self-esteem. Farideh wasn’t buying any of it, though. She believes God will give a couple in a relationship numerous tests they can’t even think of. If you’re able to go through them together, then you know the other person is the right one for you.
“Stop trying to tell young men to go cheat on their women to test them,” Farideh added. “Like that’s the worst advice you can give… Women don’t deserve to struggle just to have love.”
There’s a good chance you’ll end up single if you follow Pierce’s advice, so do not go down this route. Your partner also doesn’t deserve to be cheated on.
As for whether this caused problems in Pierce’s own life, there’s no way to know for sure. He married his longtime girlfriend Julie Landrum in 2010, and they proceeded to have three children together. The good times weren’t to last, though, as they divorced in 2023. Neither side has spoken about the reason for the split.
Pierce has said that he will marry again, but for two specific reasons. Prior to that, the 10-time All-Star had stated that marriage is only for the poor and the old. Pierce believes there aren’t many advantages for men in a marriage, and he thinks they should wait until they’re older.
