Pop
Huge pop star hit with huge monthly bill for ex as she says she’s ‘buying peace’ after hellish year
Sia says she agreed to a high monthly child‑support payment to Dan Bernad to “buy peace” after what she calls a “horrific year.”
Sia is now paying a hefty monthly sum to estranged husband Dan Bernad — and says she signed off on the deal to keep life calm for their little boy after a year she describes as nothing short of hellish.
Fresh court papers filed in Los Angeles on Monday (06.04.26) reveal the 50‑year‑old star must hand over $42,500 (£32,000) every month for their two‑year‑old son, Somersault Wonder Bernad. The payments began on April 1, and will continue until he turns 18 or leaves full‑time education.
Once the figure became public, the Chandelier singer — who also has two adult adopted sons — took to X to explain the decision, writing: “I'm a sober working mom trying to buy peace. 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. (sic)”
She also spoke about the strain of the long‑running legal battle following her March 2025 divorce filing, adding: “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 ended with: “To err is human, to forgive is divine. (sic)”
Earlier the same day, she posted a sharp dig at Bernad, writing: “Good dads get jobs.”
Under the agreement, Sia will also cover Somersault’s private school fees, health insurance, agreed extracurricular activities and any medical costs not covered by insurance.
The pair will share joint legal custody and follow a set timetable for physical custody.
Bernad had previously pushed for sole custody and demanded more than $250,000 (£188,000) a month in temporary spousal support, claiming Sia posed a “serious and immediate danger” to their son and branding her an “unfit and unreliable parent struggling with substance abuse and addiction”.
But a judge rejected his emergency request, ruling he hadn’t shown enough evidence to justify it.
The filing stated: “The court finds that sufficient exigency for the requested emergency relief has not been shown at this time. The parties entered into a stipulated legal custody and interim physical custody arrangement on August 1, 2025. Most of the facts asserted in Respondent's RFO were known at that time.”
