Defensive Player of the Year twice, 5x NBA champ, 7x rebounding champ, and much more, but not so successful when it comes to personal life. Dennis Rodman’s complicated relationship with his parents was never a secret. Little did the former Chicago Bulls star would’ve imagined decades back that the curse would continue with the upcoming generations of the family. While he hasn’t shared a sorted relationship with any of his kids for that matter, his bond with daughter Trinity is the most complex one.

Trinity Rodman will be on this week’s Call Her Daddy podcast. In a promo of the podcast, the first question the NWSL star faced was if her dad called her and gave her an “atta girl” after her recent gold medal win at the 2024 Olympics. “Nope. But my mom was there,” she replied.

The podcast promo further discussed how the 22-year-old has often avoided talking about her family behind the scenes. This time around, however, she didn’t hesitate in saying that the 63-year-old could be anything to her but “not a dad” now. 

But what changed that made the 2024 Olympic gold medalist finally open up on her relationship with her father? “We never want to make him look bad,” Trinity explained. “And that is at the cost of kind of holding in a lot. I guess it’s just like the anger that I haven’t really been able to let out is, like, difficult for me.”

And she didn’t stop there. The 22-year-old described the chaos of trying to live with her father, revealing a side of Dennis Rodman many wouldn’t expect. “He’s having parties 24/7… Bringing random b*****s in. He loves the spotlight, loves the cameras… Loves bringing his children on stage and saying, ‘Oh, these are my kids.’ I’m crying. No one knows what the f**k’s going on!”

For the cameras, however, Trinity revealed it was as if it was all hunky-dory. And then came a moment when the young forward lost all hope of ever getting her father back. “I answer the phone now for, like, my conscience… Like, he needed to hear my voice before anything happens… Not for me. He’s not a dad. Maybe by blood, but nothing else.“

Dennis Rodman married Trinity’s mother Michelle Moyer in 2003. The relationship, however, could not manage a solid foundation for even longer than a year. Unsurprisingly, Moyer filed for a divorce in 2004, but the couple tried making it work. After several attempts over the years, the two finally parted ways in 2012 by dissolving their marriage.

While The Worm was absent from his daughter’s life for the most part, things seem to have complicated even further recently. Trinity Rodman unfollowed her father on Instagram this year, even though the 2x DPOY still follows her.

Dennis Rodman once opened up on his complicated relationship with his kids

For someone who grew up without both parents, navigating life as a father was bound to be challenging. In an emotional ESPN interview, the NBA legend opened up about the struggles he faced in building meaningful connections with his children, and his words were as heartbreaking as they were relatable.

Have you ever felt like you were failing the people who matter most? Rodman admitted he battles that feeling constantly. “I lie to myself a lot about…I’m a great dad, I love my kids, and then I have to go home and sit there and beat myself up because I’m just telling myself all these lies,” he confessed, his voice heavy with emotion.

He also shared a poignant moment with his ex-wife, who reminded him what his children truly needed: not material things but his presence. “I don’t need anything, it’s about our kids. They don’t need anything; they want you to be in their lives,” Rodman recalled hearing from his ex-wife.

For the ex-Bulls star, hearing this was both eye-opening and painful.

Dennis Rodman admitted he had spent so much time providing for his kids that he rarely stopped to just be there for them. Growing up without a steady parental figure made it even harder to adjust.

Makes you wonder, doesn’t it, whether to feel sad for him or angry upon listening to Trinity’s confession.