Trinity Rodman Gives Unfiltered Interview About Dennis Rodman

Trinity Rodman says her dad, Dennis Rodman, is an “extremely selfish human being” who was not “present” as a father.

The U.S. women’s soccer pro, 22, opened up about her fraught relationship with her dad in a candid interview on Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast on Dec. 18.

TODAY.com has reached out to Dennis Rodman for comment about his daughter’s claims, and has not yet heard back.

Trinity Rodman, 22, said she hesitated to speak negatively about her dad in the past because she never wanted “to make him look bad,” but said she now welcomed the opportunity to paint a more “realistic” picture of her father.

“He’s not a dad — maybe by blood, but nothing else,” she said.

Trinity Rodman said her dad emotionally and financially abandoned her and her brother, DJ Rodman, 23, after their mom, Michelle Moyer, filed for divorce in 2004. Dennis Rodman also has another daughter, Alexis, from his previous marriage to Annie Bakes.

“Before the divorce happened, my dad was actually helping money wise … but then, when the divorce happened, it was just like, ‘F--- you guys,’” Trinity Rodman said.

She said the NBA star provided her, her mom and brother with “enough money to pay rent, barely.” 

They struggled so much financially, she said, that at one point they were living out of their Ford Expedition and spending nights in a motel when they had the money.

The Washington Spirit forward said when her mom asked Rodman for financial support for the children, he would reply along the lines of, “Oh, you just use me for my money.”

Rodman also said her dad, whom she saw a handful of times a year growing up, would use money as a form of control.

“He would take us shopping, get us phones … and me and my brother are like, ‘We don’t want to go shopping … we just want money to go ... out after school with our friends.’ … He wouldn’t give us money to do that. He needed to have the control of bringing us shopping and swiping his own card.”

The Olympic gold medalist also opened up about her dad’s lifestyle when she was growing up. 

“Hepartied all the time,” she said. “He has this beach house … we tried to live with him, but he’s having parties 24/7.”

She said she thinks her dad has never truly loved anyone since her mom, but believes he “doesn’t know how” to show that love.

“His demons were just too strong for it,” she said. 

Trinity Rodman also shared her feelings about her dad saying in interviews over the years that he wants to be a better father.

“The only major, major demon I have right now is trying to convince myself that I am a good dad,” he told ESPN in 2019. “That’s the worst one right now for me … it’s very hard for me to try to break out of that cycle.”

Rodman said she wishes her dad would back up his statements with actions.

“I do believe that he wishes that he could fight his demons. I roll my eyes because it’s like, you hear something so many times, but he does nothing to change it,” she said. “He said that in so many interviews … and it’s like, ‘OK, yeah, then do something.’”

She also expressed her sadness that, she said, her dad has not been able to accept the love she and others have offered. She said he has questioned family members’ motives for wanting to get closer.

“He’s never understood that people could actually just want to be around him and to just want to make him happy,” she said. “He’s always thinking, money, money, money, money.”

She also looked back on the time her dad surprised her at a quarterfinals game in 2021. She shared an Instagram post about the moment at the time, describing feeling "shocked, overwhelmed, happy, sad, everything."

The soccer star said she was caught off guard when she heard her dad cheering for her from the stands, and said she felt a mix of complex emotions.

"I’m just like, ‘This is the first game you’ve come to, quarterfinal; you missed the entire season. Haven’t seen my games in three, four or five years.’”

At the same time, she said she was “super happy” to see her father.

“I was like, ‘Let’s take the positive of it. He’s here. Like, that’s more than I can ask,’” she said.

Rodman said she and her dad had a “wholesome” chat after the game, and said her dad wanted to make plans to see her again soon.

However, after that day, she said there was “radio silence” from him, and she did not see him for another three years. 

“I think after that was when I lost hope in ever getting him back,” she said on the podcast. “It was just going to be like, he’s popping in whenever he wants to be (on) camera.

“And even at that game, I don’t think it was for me,” she continued. “I think he wanted to have a good conscience and then be like, ‘Headline: Dennis Rodman showed up to his daughter’s game, an important quarterfinal in her rookie year.’ And that’s exactly what it was.”