Dennis Rodman has expressed wanting to be a better father. But despite the claim, things haven’t gone smoothly with his children. Trinity, his daughter, once shared that both she and her brother DJ are estranged from their father. The 5x champ, with the little effort known, seems to have put his attention elsewhere, leaving many wondering about his true priorities.

Just a few days ago, Rodman proudly shared a clip of his new tattoo—a portrait of his girlfriend, Yella Yella, on his left upper hip. The tattoo shows her smiling with her hair swept to the side, right next to another tattoo of his own face (complete with his iconic glasses) inked on his butt cheek. “Always By My Side 😮🤭,” he captioned the Instagram post.

This isn’t the first time Rodman has honored Yella Yella in ink. Earlier, he tattooed a realistic portrait of her on his cheek, claiming it was his way of showing love to those who love him. “I thank her for loving me the way I am, and that’s why I did it for her,” he told TMZ Sports.

And what about his kids? Did he get any for them? None for now. DJ and Trinity both claim that Rodman’s role in their lives has been minimal at best. It was their mother, they say, who was their primary support.

Rodman, who has three kids—Alexis, DJ, and Trinity—has two children following in his athletic footsteps. Trinity is already making waves in the soccer world, while DJ is still working his way up in basketball. DJ’s former coach, Chris Francis, once said, “If Dennis was in that boy’s life every day, he would be a beast.”

It seems like Rodman’s biggest fear, becoming a distant father, may be unfolding right in front of him.

Dennis Rodman battles demons

Back in 2011, during his emotional Hall of Fame induction speech, Dennis Rodman revealed a painful truth. “I have one regret,” he admitted. “I wish I was a better father.” Fast forward to 2019, and Rodman sat down for another heartfelt conversation on his ESPN documentary, opening up about his lifelong battle. His “major demon,” as he put it, was constantly trying to convince himself that he was a good dad—a battle he’s still fighting.

Rodman’s struggle with fatherhood goes back to his own childhood. “It’s very hard for me to try to break out of that cycle,” the former Bulls player confessed. Having grown up without a real father figure, he often found himself questioning why he should be different. While his relationship with his kids has been rocky, there have been signs that he’s made efforts to close the gap in recent years.

In 2021, Rodman surprised his daughter, Trinity, at one of her soccer games, a moment that stirred a lot of emotions. Trinity was candid, saying, “My dad doesn’t play a big role in my life… we go months, even years, without his presence.” Despite this, she’s maintained there’s no bitterness between them, acknowledging that he’s trying in his own way.

However, after Trinity’s gold medal win for the USA at the Paris Olympics, when asked if she had heard from her father, she replied simply, “Nope, but my mom was there.”

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.