Trinity Rodman Gets Candid About Growing Up with 'Extremely Selfish' Father Dennis Rodman

In a rare interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast Wednesday, Trinity opened up about her upbringing as the daughter of the former NBA superstar who is known just as much for his skills on the court as his hard-partying ways. The U.S. Women's National Team soccer shared the realities of growing up with Rodman as her dad.

"This is my opportunity to, kind of, talk more -- I don't want to say negatively, but more realistic about it," Trinity explained.

"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 said of her and brother DJ, 23, whom Rodman shares with ex-wife Michelle Moyer. "We just want you."

"I think for him, he's never understood that fact, because he's never experienced it," she continued. "He's never understood that people could actually just want to be around him and to just want to make him happy."

The 22-year-old Olympian, who grew up in Newport Beach, California, said her dad "partied all the time" during her childhood, and while she and her brother tried to live with him, they ultimately ended up living with their mom fulltime because of Rodman's lifestyle.

"We tried to live with him, but he's having parties 24/7. He's bringing random b---hes in," she said. "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."

Dennis married Moyer in 2003, but per Trinity, her dad's demons were too strong" and the pair filed for divorce just a year later in 2004, though their marriage wasn't fully dissolved until 2012. Rodman is also the father to 36-year-old daughter Alexis, whom he shares with ex-wife Annie Bakes; Rodman and Bakes were married from 1992-1993.

"I think my mom just saw the situation of, 'We love each other. It's not gonna work,'" Trinity shared. "'For my kids, I can't have them seeing you treat me this way, embarrass me this way and have the party scene all the time.'"

Trinity also detailed her dad's struggles with substance abuse, particularly where alcohol is concerned.

"He's an alcoholic," she said of the basketball player, who has openly discussed his battle with alcohol and completed several stints in rehab. "That's something that I don't want to say, but I'm just like, f--k it. It's just the truth."

While Trinity said her dad was around when she and her brother DJ were younger, he was in their lives "less and less" as they continued to grow up.

"We were seeing him once, two, three, four times a year," she recalled. Every time they were together,, though, "It was the same s--t. It was my mom being [livid] and what the f--k are you doing? Help us and help your children."

As Trinity and DJ got older, they "understood the situation more" and saw their dad "less" -- even though they lived in the same city.

She and her brother also struggled financially growing up because they "didn't have money." While they lived in a wealthy area of Orange County, she said they were getting little to no help from Rodman, and even were forced to live in a car at one point.

"Before the divorce happened, my dad was actually helping money wise," she recalled. "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.'… We're getting enough money to pay rent, barely."

At one point, Trinity said that her dad claimed they wanted to "use him" for money. Meanwhile, he would not pay child support.

In 2012, however, Rodman was ordered to pay Moyer $500,000 in back child support.

"That was all the fight was ever about, in front of us at least," she continued. "It was just the money part and helping your children."

Despite what was going on behind closed doors during her childhood, Trinity said she was still publicly supporting her father, and even has in recent years.

"That's the crazy part, 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," she said. "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."

Calling her dad an "extremely selfish human being" who loves the spotlight, Trinity recalled a moment during her rookie year with the Washington Spirit, where her dad decided to make a surprise appearance at one of her games.

The incident ended with Trinity sobbing after the game, and an awkward media moment where, once again, the professional athlete had to put on a face and play happy families for the cameras.

"I think it's like halfway through the first half and I hear [his voice]," she recalled. "I'm like, oh my f--king gosh, like, there's no way this is happening right now. Mind you, I haven's seen him or talked to him in months."

Trinity said she finished the first half of the game and spent halftime in tears. However, she went back on the field and scored the game-winning goal. After the game came to an end, Trinity was just "mad" at the situation.

"I was like, 'You took this happy moment from me. Like you f--ked with my head again,'" she recalled, but she ended up falling into Rodman's arms and crying. "I cried and I was super happy. I was like, let's take the positive of it. He's here."

After that day in 2021, Trinity said she didn't hear from Rodman until this year, telling host Alex Cooper that her dad has been "trying" to call her over the past few weeks.

"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 happens," she said. "That's why I answer the phone, not for me."

Still, Trinity said that despite the soft spot she has for her father, "he's not a dad."

"Maybe by blood," she added, "but nothing else."