How Many Kids Does Dennis Rodman Have?
Dennis Rodman was one of the most popular celebs on and off the basketball court in the 1990s. Known as "the worm" for his defensive and rebounding skills, Rodman played for the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks. The power forward earned a "bad boy" reputation for head-butting a ref and kicking a cameraman and also became a pop culture fixture who made headlines for his ever-changing hair, painted nails, piercings, and fashion. He once wore a wedding dress and married himself, but he also dated the likes of Madonna and Vivica A. Fox and married Carmen Electra.
As Rodman told Sports Illustrated, "If you ranked the 10 most identifiable people on the planet, I'd be Number 5. I'd come in right after God, Jesus, Muhammad Ali and Barack Obama. But take away the Top Four's bodyguards and entourages, and put them on a busy street in New York City, and I bet no one would recognize any of them."
He may or may not be right, but one thing is for sure — Rodman is less well known for another role he plays — father to three children. Let's take a closer look at Rodman's adventures in parenthood.
Dennis Rodman's antics impacted his kids
Dennis Rodman's love life was a hot topic in his heyday. The NBA star claims Madonna once flew him from Las Vegas, where he was gambling, to New York City, where she was ovulating, in hopes of spawning a little one. That didn't work out, but Rodman did father three children from other relationships.
Daughter Alexis was born to his first wife, supermodel Annie Bakes, in 1988. They divorced in the early '90s. He and Michelle Rodman (nee Moyer) had a son, Dennis Jr. (aka D.J.) in 2000, and a daughter, Trinity, in 2001. Moyer and Rodman wed in 2003. She filed for divorce in 2004, but the split wasn't finalized until 2012. At one point, Rodman faced potential jail time over more than $800,000 in unpaid child and spousal support, reported the Los Angeles Times.
Dennis Rodman's antics reportedly took a toll on his kids. After he was suspended for kicking a cameraman in 1997, his first ex-wife, Annie Bakes, told the Chicago Tribune that their daughter, who was just 8 years old at the time, also had to go to counseling for anger management. "Alexis shows a lot of anger right now and she is holding it against me that I left Dennis," Bakes said, claiming their daughter "hit a girl when they were playing basketball and then she said: `Well, Daddy does it.'"
Dennis Rodman wants to be a good dad
Financial woes, substance abuse, and family history have all played a role in Dennis Rodman's parenting journey, but the hall of fame player claims he wants to do better. "He says he longs to be the father he never had," reported ESPN, even though he has admittedly been absent throughout much of their lives.
"We all have demons..." Dennis told ESPN during a very emotional interview in 2019. He said his biggest demon has been "trying to convince myself that I'm a good dad." He admitted, "It's very hard for me to try to break out of that cycle" that began during his childhood. "
Fortunately, everyone seems to be doing much better today. Alexis (pictured right) is now in her thirties and working as an actress. In the 30 for 30 ESPN episode titled "Dennis Rodman: For Better or Worse," she calls her dad a "beautiful person." Son D.J. is following in his father's basketball footsteps as a forward for the Washington State Cougars. Trinity also attends Washington State and plays soccer. According to the Seattle Times, she was "billed as the No. 1 high school forward in the country."
While they might have had a tumultuous childhood witnessing their father's highs and lows in the public eye, it looks like Dennis Rodman and his kids are all doing well and forging a bright future.
Dennis Rodman hopes to inspire all kids
Not only does Dennis Rodman aspire to be a good dad to his kids, but he also hopes to be an inspiration for all children. "More than anything, I just want little kids today just to understand, ain't no matter what you do in life, be different, rich or poor man, guess what, it's OK to be who you are pretty much and you'll be accepted," Rodman said about his 2013 children's book, Dennis the Wild Bull, in conversation with ESPN.
Written alongside Dustin Warburton, the work tells the story of Dennis, a bull who is "captured away from his family and forced to live with other bulls in a rodeo." And "though he looks nothing like them, they come to accept him and he becomes friends with them."
The sweetest part about this venture? Dennis mentioned how two of his children are on the book's cover, illustrated as tiny bulls. Aww.