Dennis Rodman and his problems
Alcohol addiction and declining marketability have sidelined Dennis Rodman and rendered him unable to pay an “unjustified” amount of child support – representatives for the former NBA player said today.
Rodman’s manager, Darren Prince, told ABCNews.com today that the former Chicago Bulls’ rebound star has a “well-documented drinking problem, and all the stress from the divorce and not seeing his kids isn’t helping. As people know, it’s a daily struggle. He has good days and bad ones and good weeks and bad weeks.”
While Rodman isn’t in an inpatient treatment program, Prince said: “He does see a counselor from time to time.”
The Los Angeles Times reported that Rodman’s attorney Linnea Willis said Rodman “is broke and cannot afford any additional fees,” in court papers filed today. She also said he is “extremely sick.”
The filing came in response to allegations from the attorney for Rodman’s third wife, Michelle Rodman, that as of Mar. 1, Rodman owed $808,935 in back child support for the couple’s 9- and 10-year-old children and $51,441 in back spousal support. He was previously ordered to pay his ex-wife $50,000 per month for child support.
Willis said in a statement that “even the wealthiest celebrities in the world” would not be ordered to pay $50,000 a month, and while Rodman hasn’t been able to make payments of that amount: “it is absolutely untrue that Mr. Rodman failed to pay child or spousal support. Mr. Rodman has always provided support to his family to the best of his ability and will continue to do so.”
Dennis Rodman.
Dennis Rodman hasn’t rebounded from his personal and financial woes.
The former NBA star, whose loud parties once riled his Newport Beach neighbors, made an appearance Tuesday at the Lamoreaux Justice Center, where he faced possible jail time for unpaid spousal and child support.
However, the 50-year-old saw his sentencing moved to May 29, pending a court decision in which is his attorney (Linnea Willis) is seeking to vacate the ruling on four counts of contempt of court.
Commissioner Barry S. Michaelson, who presided over Tuesday’s case, said there will be no jail time at Rodman’s sentencing in May, and that community service would most likely be applied to one contempt of court charge.
The charges stemmed from four months of allegedly unpaid spousal and child support he owes to his most recent ex-wife, Michelle Rodman (44) court documents show.
Rodman owes her $808,935 in child support and $51,441 in spousal support, according to the documents her attorney, Jack Kayajanian, filed on her behalf.
But Willis said that figure is based on an unjustified order, where Rodman was ordered to pay $50,000 a month based on Kayajanian’s estimate that he earned $30 million a year.
Michaelson threw out the $50,000 Rodman owed because he said it was an unreasonable amount.
Willis said she found evidence that Rodman made payments to his former wife during the months he was found in contempt.
“I will not make the same mistake as my opposing counsel, Mr. Kayajanian, in presuming how the court will sentence Dennis” – she said in a prepared statement. “We are, however, hopeful that it will not include jail time, as he has never been found in contempt previously, did not do any willful acts of misconduct, has paid support to the best of his ability, and in light of the additional evidence of payments submitted to the court.”
When his third wife (Michelle Rodman) sued him for divorce in 2004, Rodman sold the beach pad. At the time, he listed his previous year’s income as $570,000. He said he had $3.4 million in property and $1.45 million in stocks and bonds. But, he said, maintaining his hard-charging lifestyle cost him more than $31,000 a month.
The couple have spent several years trying to reconcile, but the marriage was dissolved a few weeks ago after his wife petitioned the court again.
“This case, especially his wife filling for divorce, has put him on a binge that I have never seen before” – Williams said. Rodman, she said, no longer has a job, savings or even a checking account.
Along with the occasional arrest, a rainbow of ever-changing hair colors and the tens of thousands of dollars dropped in strip clubs, Rodman also has tax issues. He withdrew his NBA pension for pennies on the dollar to pay taxes owed to California and still owes $350,000 in back taxes, according to Orange County court documents, though his lawyers say it should be substantially less.
Still, when he was inducted last year into the NBA Hall of Fame, media reports characterized the former rebounding and defensive specialist as earning a good living through endorsements, promotional campaigns, licensing deals and as a high-end deejay.
“Before the Hall of Fame called, we were reaching out for projects for Dennis” – his marketing agent told the New York Times reporter. “Now our phones are ringing. There’s been a huge spike in business opportunities.”
Rodman won three NBA championships with the Bulls in the late1990′s and also played with the Lakers, albeit briefly.
He referred to Michelle as his “wife” during the hearing and said the two get along and had dined with their two children at an Outback Steakhouse on Monday evening.
Rodman, who lives in Miami, said their dispute has “never been a hate thing. We’re not like that.” He added that the two were “just trying to get it done.”
When court broke for lunch, they huddled to make lunch plans.