Sia says legal battle with estranged husband made for a 'horrific year'

Sia agreed to pay an "incredibly high" amount of monthly child support to her estranged husband Dan Bernad because she is "trying to buy peace" after a "horrific year".

According to court documents filed in Los Angeles on Monday, the Australian singer-songwriter agreed to pay Bernad $42,500 (£32,000) per month in child support for their two-year-old son, Somersault Wonder Bernad.

The payments began on 1 April and will continue until Somersault turns 18 or leaves full-time education.

After their child support and custody agreement hit headlines on Tuesday, the Chandelier singer took to X to explain why she agreed to pay such an "incredibly high" amount of child support.

"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," she wrote.

Sia, 50, then opened up the legal fallout she has endured since she filed for divorce from Bernad in March 2025, more than two years after they legally married in December 2022.

"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 added.

She concluded the post by quoting Alexander Pope's 1771 poem An Essay on Criticism: "To err is human, to forgive is divine."

An hour before her explanation, the Titanium singer took a swipe at her ex by posting, "Good dads get jobs."

In addition to child support, Sia also accepted financial responsibility for their son's private school tuition, health insurance, agreed-upon extracurricular activities and uninsured healthcare costs.

The former couple also agreed to share joint legal custody of Somersault and follow a set schedule for physical custody.

Bernad had initially requested sole legal and physical custody of their son, claiming Sia was an unfit parent, but a judge denied his petition. He also requested more than $250,000 (£188,000) per month in temporary spousal support.

According to Monday's filing, the former couple resolved the spousal support issue in December.

In addition to Somersault, Sia is the mother to two adult adopted sons.