The Call Her Daddy podcast has transitioned substantially since its 2018 inception. While Sofia Franklyn no longer hosts the controversial web show, Alex Cooper continues to sit down with celebrity guests, from Vice President Kamala Harris to, more recently, Trinity Rodman. The latter name is well known among fans of women’s soccer, and though the 22-year-old is still establishing herself as a professional athlete, having a father like NBA icon Dennis Rodman certainly hasn’t hurt her reputation. It’s evident his genes run strong in his daughter and her older brother DJ (who plays basketball), but according to Trinity, their famous father hasn’t played much of a supportive role in their lives.
Dennis married Michelle Moyer in 2003, welcoming their two children around the same time. Though she loved Rodman, his wild antics proved to be too unstable to raise children around; Moyer filed for divorce in 2004 and their marriage was dissolved in 2012. In her Call Her Daddy interview, the youngest member of the Rodman clan speaks candidly about her bumpy past with Dennis, as well as where they stand after a surprise emotional encounter at her 2021 rookie game on the Washington Spirit that was caught on camera.
Despite Their Dad’s Fame, Dennis’ Kids Briefly Lived in Their Car
According to Trinity, after her dad surprised her on the field, she didn’t hear from him for several years. He’s allegedly been trying to call her ahead of the holidays, which she tries to stay receptive to. “I answer the phone now for my conscience. If something does happen, God forbid, I want to know that I did that. Or if he needed to hear my voice before anything happened,” Rodman told Cooper. While the above photo shows a sentimental moment for the father-daughter duo, Trinity insists, “He’s not a dad. Maybe by blood, but nothing else.”
The young athlete added, “We tried to be that foundation and to be the good people around him. Because in reality, we never really asked for anything unless we really needed it,” Trinity shared. “We just want you. I think for him, he’s never understood the fact, because he’s never experienced it. He’s never understood that people could actually just want to be around him and to just want to make him happy.”
Besides noting her brother’s confidence struggles stemming from Dennis’ instability, the Chicago Bulls alum’s daughter also revealed they experienced homelessness when he refused to pay child support. In 2012, Rodman was ordered to pay his ex-wife $500K to make up for the losses over the years, but before that, his kids found it tough to get by in the wealthy town of Newport. “Before the divorce happened, my dad was actually helping money-wise… He would actually give money to my mom and let us live life a little bit… When the divorce happened, it was just like, ‘F**k you guys,” Trinity noted.
Trinity Rodman Gets Candid About Her and Dennis’ Strained Relationship
Dennis’ issues with substance abuse proved to cause problems with his ex-wife and their young children; he apparently “partied all the time” in Trinity’s youth. As UsWeekly notes, the former athlete has spoken out about his substance abuse battles and even entered rehab to work on himself. Still, it wasn’t enough to keep his family close by. “We tried to live with him, but he’s having parties 24/7. He’s bringing random b**ches in. My mom didn’t want – she was strong enough to deal with it because even to this day, I still believe that my dad hasn’t loved anyone after my mom,” the California native expressed.
She and DJ often heard Michelle and Dennis arguing about money, helping the kids understand the issues between their parents far sooner than necessary. “Every time they were together, it was the same s**t. It was my mom being valid and what the f**k are you doing? Help us and help your children,” Trinity Rodman told Cooper.
Even with family tensions running high, his kids still showed out to support their dad and protect his public image. “That’s the crazy part is, we still were going to those events like we were just a happy little family. Getting dressed, getting styled, his [2011] Jersey Retirement, all those things that we attended,” Trinity recalled. “It was just the weirdest thing because we did things for him and we’ve always done things for him. He wanted to have a good image of having his family by him.”