Trinity Rodman is one of the most popular soccer players in America and, more recently, tennis player Ben Shelton’s girlfriend. However, her public success is complicated by family history with her father, NBA legend Dennis Rodman.
The father-daughter relationship was a big topic in December 2024 when Trinity spoke about her childhood on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. She said that Dennis was “not a dad” by much, “maybe by blood, but nothing else.”
Why Did Trinity Rodman Become Estranged From Dennis Rodman?
Her childhood was impacted by her father’s lifestyle, she said, as he was often partying and she felt it was not healthy for her and her older brother DJ. Her mother, Michelle Moyer, eventually left Dennis and attempted to shield the kids from the situation, she said. Moyer and Dennis divorced in 2012.
Trinity also mentioned financial problems following the divorce. She said the family had times when they were very low on cash and remembered living in an SUV and motel when she was a kid. Trinity’s account says Dennis was largely absent from her life.
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The whole thing was very painful because Trinity claimed that she had been trying to protect her father’s public image for years. She said she and DJ had not talked about their experiences in the open because they didn’t want to make Dennis “look bad.”
MORE: Exploring Ben Shelton’s Personal Life: Parents, Siblings, Ethnicity, Coaches & Family Background
How Did Dennis Rodman Respond?
Following the release of Trinity’s interview, Dennis posted an apology on Instagram. He said he was sorry he “wasn’t the Dad you wanted me to be” and insisted that he had continued to try to maintain a relationship with his daughter.
But Trinity did not consider the answer to be a true solution. Later she called his public apology “a joke” and said she was “done,” indicating the depth of the split.
She has had a successful career on her own, but the family story is still a part of Trinity’s public image. She has won an Olympic gold medal with the U.S. women’s soccer team and is a big star in the sport.
Today, she is also in a high-profile relationship with Ben Shelton. The couple went public in 2025, and Rodman has been a frequent supporter of Shelton at major tennis tournaments, including the 2026 US Open.
But for Rodman, Shelton’s love is just a small piece of a much bigger puzzle, one in which she has been trying to carve out a space for herself that is distinct from her famous father.
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