“Sorry I wasn’t the Dad you wanted me to be… I will keep trying even when you’re being told as an adult not to respond to my phone calls,” Dennis Rodman wrote, addressing his daughter Trinity. The message was raw and emotional, revealing how strained things still are between him, his children, and his ex-wife, Michelle Moyer. While that father-child bond seems rocky, Michelle has been the steady force holding the children together. Her social media posts made that love loud and clear.

People might know Rodman for grabbing rebounds, but his love life? That’s been a whole other story. He’s been married three times—first to Annie Bakes, with whom he shares a daughter, Alexis. That marriage lasted just 82 days. Then came Carmen Electra in 1998, a whirlwind romance that ended almost as quickly as it began. His longest and most public marriage was with Michelle Moyer, the mother of his two youngest kids, DJ and Trinity. They tied the knot in 2003, tried to make it work for years, but officially divorced in 2012.

Yet, Michelle has always been the quiet force behind her kids, Trinity and DJ Rodman — and honestly, she’s been nothing if not consistently present in their lives. Her love shows up in all their little moments, like her recent Instagram story celebrating DJ’s girlfriend, Riley Dixonn. “HB Riley. Here is to being the best woman I could’ve asked for to be the other half to my son… so blessed to have you in the fam,” Michelle wrote, filling the post with hearts, cake, champagne, and all the love she could fit into one story.

And this isn’t the first time she’s shown Riley some big-time appreciation. A couple of months ago, Michelle publicly thanked her for sticking by DJ through the highs and the lows. “To the girl who loves my son not only on his good days, but also on his bad days. THANK YOU,” she wrote. That kind of shoutout doesn’t come from nowhere—it’s clear she sees Riley as more than just DJ’s girlfriend; she sees her as family.

Meanwhile, Michelle continues to be her kids’ biggest cheerleader. Trinity’s gearing up for her fifth NWSL season with the Washington Spirit, and DJ is about to wrap up the regular season with USC, hoping to make a deep run in the Big Ten tournament. Through it all, Michelle’s there — cheering, posting, supporting — exactly the kind of presence every young athlete or a child needs.

Dennis Rodman’s absence as a father left a deep impact

After years of trying to hold her family together while Rodman waltzed in and out of their lives, Moyer knew something had to change. A near-fatal accident gave her the clarity she needed. “I’m blessed to be alive. But I knew that I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to be there for my kids,” Michelle said. That moment became her “wake-up call,” and she filed for divorce, finalized in 2012. Dennis, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. “We won’t live together. I like it like that. She and the kids come over on weekends,” he told the Los Angeles Times, revealing just how disconnected he was from day-to-day parenting.

For Trinity Rodman and her brother DJ, their father’s absence cut deeper than distance—it was emotional detachment. “He’s not a dad,” Trinity said plainly on the Call Her Daddy podcast. “Maybe by blood, but nothing else.” In the early years, she remembered Dennis offering some financial support. “My dad was helping money-wise,” she said. After a legal challenge, the child support was fixed at $500,000. “He would actually give money to my mom. When the divorce happened, it was like, ‘F— you, guys.’”

Even when things got desperate, Trinity said her mother worked hard to protect them from the chaos. They had to live out of a car for a while, she recalled, while talking to E! News. “But my mom tried to make every situation seem smoother than it actually was.” Michelle didn’t just hold the family together — she softened the blow of a father who, even when physically around, never truly showed up. “He partied all the time… He’s bringing random b—– in.” Trinity recalled one painful moment when Dennis showed up uninvited to a high-stakes game during her rookie year. “I’m already s—ing my pants as it is,” she said. “I hear him go, ‘Let’s go, Rodman, let’s go, Trinity.’ I’m like, ‘Oh my f—ing gosh.’ Like, there’s no way this is happening right now.”

Even Father’s Day was a reminder of who really showed up for them. DJ made it crystal clear in 2020 when he posted a photo with Michelle, writing, “Happy Father’s Day to the one who helped me grow up to the person I am today and played both father and mother figures for my whole life.” That one stung. And despite Dennis’ emotional pleas—like his Hall of Fame speech where he said, “I have one regret. I wish I was a better father”—his actions have rarely matched his words. As Trinity put it, “He said that in so many interviews. It’s like, OK. Then do something.”

The Rodman family story isn’t black and white—it’s complicated, human, and still unfolding. And like any family, there’s space for both disappointment and perhaps even the hope of repair. While the headlines often focus on Dennis, the real constant in Trinity and DJ’s lives has been their mom. Michelle Moyer’s love, sacrifice, and presence have been the foundation of their growth.