Sia Pushes Back at Critics Over Singer's Leaked $42,500-Month Child Support Deal: 'I Am the Only Parent Earning Income'

Sia is pushing back after headlines spotlighted her $42,500-per-month child support agreement, offering a candid explanation for why she agreed to the deal, and what the past year has cost her.

“I’m a sober working mom trying to buy peace,” the singer wrote on X after the terms surfaced. “I have primary custody of our son and since i am the only parent earning income i still have to pay California’s incredibly high child support.”

The agreement, filed in Los Angeles, requires Sia to make the monthly payments to her estranged husband, Daniel Bernad, while also covering private school tuition, healthcare, extracurricular costs, and maintaining a $5 million life insurance policy for their son.

To many observers, the figure raised eyebrows, but experts say it’s not unusual in ultra-high-net-worth cases.

“At first blush this $42,500 monthly child support figure seems pretty high, even for a famous musician,” says Robert Wallack, founder of The Wallack Firm, who specializes in celebrity and high-net-worth family law but was not involved in the case.

Under California law, child support is calculated by factoring both parents’ incomes as well as their percentage of parenting time, “but in high income cases, the Court has discretion to depart from the standard formula and consider the parent’s lifestyles and the child’s standard of living,” Wallack explains. “In ultra-high-net-worth cases, children are often accustomed to very privileged lifestyles, which end up being reflected in very large child support awards.”

Notably, however, the child support figure in this case wasn’t imposed by a judge, but agreed to between the parties.

“This is not uncommon with celebrities,” Wallack says. “There is often significant psychic value in avoiding or ending these battles.”

Sia echoed that sentiment directly, framing the settlement as a strategic decision rather than a legal defeat.

“This has been a horrific year but it taught me how to navigate incredibly difficult situations, prioritize my family and not absorb other people’s negativity,” she wrote, adding, “To err is human, to forgive is divine.”

Court filings show the couple shares joint legal custody of their son, while Sia maintains primary physical custody.

Bernad had previously sought more than $250,000 a month in spousal support, arguing that he had left his position as an oncologist at her request and his license had since expired. He also made allegations about Sia’s previous substance use making her an unfit parent, which she denied. Investigations into related claims were ultimately closed without charges.

In a follow-up post on X, Sia appeared to take a pointed swipe at her ex, writing, “good dads get jobs.”