Despite being the daughter of the legendary NBA star Dennis Rodman, Trinity Rodman revealed a painful reality that the pair have gone years without speaking.
Video
The 22-year-old soccer star opened up about her family during Wednesday’s “Call Her Daddy” episode.
Trinity, who became the youngest player drafted into the National Women’s Soccer League at 18 and helped lead the Washington Spirit to a championship in her rookie year, skyrocketed to fame this summer by helping the U.S. win its first women’s soccer gold medal since 2012.
While her father is a five-time NBA champion known for his flamboyant persona, Trinity described him as an absentee parent who left the family both emotionally and financially.
“I think… me and my brother have been very generous with the way we’ve talked about it,” she said.
Trinity and her older brother, DJ, were born during Dennis’s relationship with Michelle Moyer, but the couple separated when she was a toddler. Trinity said her mother struggled financially, with the family experiencing homelessness at times.
“Imagine living in a car going to a rich school,” she recalled.
In 2021, Dennis showed up unannounced at her NWSL quarterfinal, leaving his daughter furious. He called her name while she was on the field, sending her into an emotional tailspin. She became so overwhelmed that her coach asked if she wanted to continue the game. Looking back, Trinity believes Dennis used the moment to appear like a good father, though his appearance backfired
“Like you took this happy moment from me,” she recalled to host, Alex Cooper.
She shared their interaction shortly after the game in an Instagram post, writing in part, “I was shocked, overwhelmed, happy, sad, everything. My dad doesn’t play a big role in my life at all and most people don’t know that.”
Dennis previously expressed regret during his 2011 Hall of Fame speech, admitting, “I wish I was a better father.”
“He’s not a dad. Maybe by blood, but nothing else,” Trinity declared.
