Dennis Rodman sat down with the “Today Show” to set the record straight on his personal life.
In the interview, the Basketball Hall of Famer disputed reports that emerged two weeks ago stating that he was broke and sick, saying he’s neither.
“I’m not a deadbeat dad,” Rodman said. “Yeah, I pay child support. I’m not one of the guys that made Michael Jordan money or Scottie Pippen money. I made a decent living in the NBA, but broke? I’m not broke,” he says.
Asked about having a drinking problem, Rodman disputed that, too.
“I’m not sick, man. People have had those allegations about me since 1995. ‘Dennis parties a lot, Dennis does this.’ I’m going to do what I do. I’ve proved people wrong from day one, I’m still proving people wrong that the fact that I’m still loving it.”
“I feel good. I’m 50 years old, I do go out and have a good time, and most of the things I do is based on appearances around the world.”
Rodman also says he’s unlikely to suffer a similar fate to recently deceased stars like Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse because he does not do cocaine.
“I never even tried cocaine. I never even came near cocaine,” he states.
Rodman was adamant about using the interview to clear his name and reputation. But what’s strange is that he was only clearing his name from the allegations made by his attorney and finance manager.
In court documents, Rodman’s attorney, Linnea Willis, said she was working pro bono, and reportedly said that her client “is barely capable of paying for his living expenses, let alone the $5,000 he has for one child from another relationship, and the $4,500 monthly payment for spousal and child support to Michelle Rodman.”
“Respondent Dennis Rodman is broke and cannot afford any additional fees,” said court documents filed on his behalf.
The allegations that Rodman is sick came from his finance manager, Peggy Williams.
“In all honesty, Dennis, although a very sweet person, is an alcoholic,” Williams said. “His sickness impacts his ability to get work. This case, especially his wife filling (sic) for divorce, has put him on a binge that I have never seen before. He is extremely hurt and extremely sick. He is often unable to obtain work because of this sickness. And his sickness is getting increasingly worse.”
Rodman’s attorney stated in the interview that the child support payments have been reduced. One has to wonder how much the pleas that he’s broke and sick were used to reduce his financial responsibilities. Now that their plan worked in court, it seems like they’re trying to rehab Rodman’s broke and sick image, which is something they created.
