"If your significant other told you they were the Virgin Mary…" — Austin McBroom claps back at Catherine Paiz, claims she knew he was cheating

Former basketball player and YouTuber Austin McBroom has responded to infidelity claims in his ex-wife Catherine Paiz’s upcoming book, Dolores: My Journey Home.

In a lengthy video posted on May 12, 2025, McBroom claimed that Paiz “knew exactly what I was doing and when I was doing it,” adding that she stayed with him 5 to 6 years after becoming aware of his unfaithfulness.

He also discussed trying to be a supportive husband during Catherine’s “ayahuasca journey,” despite being against it. Ayahuasca is a plant-based psychedelic primarily found in South America.

According to McBroom, under the alleged influence of ayahuasca, Paiz claimed to be a “psychic” and called him a “mermaid.”

“She even went as far as telling me that she was the reincarnated Virgin Mary. And she no longer wants to have s*x with me and use her body that way. You guys put yourself in my shoes. And if your significant other told you that they were the Virgin Mary and no longer wanted to have s*x with you, what would you do?” Austin asked.

McBroom also shared images, video clips, and screenshots of past conversations with Catherine to support his claims. However, he added that he would not speak further on the matter, as he had done a "lot of healing" and was in a “completely new chapter of my life.”

Notably, Catherine Paiz’s book has not yet been released. However, an alleged excerpt from the book went viral on May 12, 2025, after The Shade Room Teen posted it on Instagram. It reportedly detailed how she first found “proof” of Austin McBroom's infidelity.

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Exploring more about Austin McBroom’s response to Catherine Paiz’s book claims

On Monday, Austin McBroom broke his silence regarding the allegations in the book by his former wife, podcaster, and internet personality, Catherine Paiz.

“Her acting like she had no idea what was going on, that is a complete lie. Catherine knew what I was dealing with for a very long time. I would come to her and I would voice how I felt, about how I was feeling, I was getting no affection from her,” he stated.

Austin McBroom went on to claim that they had no s*xual relationship for a year, and when he shared his needs with her, she reportedly told him not to make her “look dumb” or “embarrass” her.

“I don’t know what that means to you guys, but to me it sounded like go do whatever you need to do, because I am not capable of giving you what you need,” he added.

Elsewhere in the video, Austin McBroom claimed that Paiz seemingly became “addicted” to ayahuasca and took it once every month, made trips to South America, illegally obtained the psychedelic from Brazil, and reportedly hosted ayahuasca ceremonies at home in the absence of licensed professionals—all while their kids were still around.

The former NCAA basketball guard admitted to being unfaithful but alleged it wasn’t entirely his fault. He claimed that Catherine may have met a new man during one of her retreats, which ultimately led to their divorce.

Austin McBroom also said that Paiz’s conversation often revolved around “spirituality.” While he tried to be supportive, he could hardly relate to it.

He explained that, at one point, he had two options: either to try and get full custody of his kids or continue to deal with Catherine. However, he chose to step out of the marriage and didn’t think of ever addressing the situation until the book snippets came out.

Austin McBroom mentioned being “blindsided” by the content in Paiz’s memoir and shared he never wanted to talk about it but rather protect the “mother of my kids and my kids.”

The father of three also claimed that their co-parenting was going well until the brand-new revelation, which, according to him, lacked context. However, he took “accountability” for ending the marriage.

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In brief, about Catherine Paiz’s book

Catherine Paiz’s upcoming book, Dolores: My Journey Home, is slated for a July 1, 2025, release. However, on Monday, an alleged excerpt from the book went viral, seemingly detailing how she discovered her ex-husband was “cheating” on her, not via “suspicion” or “rumor,” but with evidence.

“A close family member of his admitted to me that he’d invited a girl to that very Staples Center event, the same night I’d convinced myself I was being selfless for letting him have his moment. I’d seen her there. Pretty. A hanger-on. Standing just close enough to feel out of place, yet comfortable enough to belong,” the alleged excerpt read.

It continued:

“I realized then why he hadn’t wanted to walk beside me, why it had been so easy for him not to. He’d already broken his vows. He’d already been gone from me, longer than I had known.”

It mentioned how Paiz eventually connected the dots, and things began to make sense, including why Austin McBroom didn’t want her to be around, subjected her to “shrug” and “indifference,” and treated her as if she were a “thorn in his side.”

Catherine hasn’t confirmed or denied whether the excerpt is from her unpublished book. She has also not addressed her former husband’s allegations.

Austin McBroom and Catherine Paiz met each other at a dinner party in 2015. After two years of dating, they got engaged in August 2017 and tied the knot later that year. They share two daughters, Elle Lively and Alaia Marie, and a son named Steel. The ACE Family hosts announced their mutually agreed-upon divorce in January 2024.

In November last year, she shared a glimpse of her new partner on Instagram, writing, “My love…” in the caption. The identity of the man remains undisclosed.