Trinity Rodman: The Truth about My Family

Join Alex in the studio for an interview with Olympic gold medalist, Trinity Rodman. For the first time ever Trinity opens up about her strained relationship with her father, NBA Hall of Famer, Dennis Rodman. She discusses the way he abandoned their family, living in a car and a motel growing up, why she’s protected him for so long, the toll his absence took on her mental health, and how it’s impacted her dating life today. Enjoy!

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Alex Cooper?

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• 0:43Alex Cooper?

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• 1:28Alex Cooper?

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• 2:09Alex Cooper?

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• 2:54Alex Cooper?

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• 3:14Speaker 01

  What is up Daddy gang? It is your founding father, Alex Cooper with Call Her Daddy.

• 3:23Alex Cooper?

  Trinity Rodman, welcome to Call Her Daddy.

• 3:25Speaker 02

  Hey, thanks for having me. Oh my gosh, so happy to be.

• 3:29Alex Cooper?

  No, Trinity, you just walked in here and you go, what did you just say? You're like, I only talk about soccer.

• 3:34Speaker 02

  Yeah, this is new territory. You don't want me to just talk about kicking a ball around the field? What?

• 3:39Alex Cooper?

  I want to talk about corner kicks this entire fucking time.

• 3:42Speaker 02

  Perfect, because I don't take them. So I'm gonna just see what happens. My first corner kick was in the championship, four years into my pro.

• 3:49Alex Cooper?

  Stop.

• 3:51Speaker 02

  I literally walk up to the corner and I was like, what, what are we doing? Championship, we're losing. There's like a couple minutes left. I'm standing there like, everyone's looking like.

• 4:00Alex Cooper?

  No, stop. I love how I say that and you're like, okay, I actually will.

• 4:04Speaker 02

  I have a story.

• 4:04Alex Cooper?

  No, stop. You're like, I have a story. Can this take up an hour? We're gonna be fine today. Okay, I've got you. First of all, I do just have to say I'm so fucking happy that I'm meeting you because I had a show on Peacock during the Olympics. And I was, you're not, you saw, okay.

• 4:21Speaker 02

  Saw you going crazy.

• 4:22Alex Cooper?

  Bitch, I cried when you won. Okay, so I was, I got there and they were like, oh, we're gonna have you cover all the sports. And I was like, please let me just cover soccer with a little bit of gymnastics because I know soccer.

• 4:35Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 4:35Alex Cooper?

  And they were like, maybe, maybe. And then they saw me talk about soccer and they're like, okay, Jesus Christ, you're too fucking soft.

• 4:40Speaker 02

  You have to stay.

• 4:41Alex Cooper?

  You have to stay. And when you guys won gold, I cried.

• 4:45Speaker 02

  Same.

• 4:47Alex Cooper?

  Oh, fuck. Obviously. Um, can you, we're gonna start with some easy ones.

• 4:51Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 4:52Alex Cooper?

  How did you celebrate winning gold?

• 4:54Speaker 02

  Oh, my gosh. I cried. I like collapsed and cried. But I don't know. I feel like there's like no true celebration afterwards because hey, you gotta go back to your season in WSL. So we celebrated like the night of, partied with our coaches and our staff and everything. That was fun. And I didn't take the medal off, even the flight home. Like it wasn't, it was glued to my neck.

• 5:16Alex Cooper?

  When did you first take it off?

• 5:17Speaker 02

  Probably when I went to sleep when I got home because I was like, hey, that's a lot. But even through security, I was like trying to wear it and they were like, no, I was like, oh, okay. I'm like staring at it through the thing.

• 5:28Alex Cooper?

  Wait, where, where did you put it when you went to bed?

• 5:30Speaker 02

  Um, I have this little case that I got when we won in 2021 for my ring, but it's like big. And so I just put it in there. Hopefully it's still there. I haven't checked on it in a minute.

• 5:39Alex Cooper?

  Wait, what?

• 5:41Speaker 02

  I should probably check to see if she's okay.

• 5:43Alex Cooper?

  Casual, just gold medal sitting somewhere random. What is your pregame ritual? Do you have any superstitions?

• 5:50Speaker 02

  I feel like I have so many little superstitions. So gum is one. I can't live without gum.

• 5:58Alex Cooper?

  Really?

• 5:59Speaker 02

  For soccer. So like I'll go through probably three or four pieces of gum a game. And if I am going on the field and I don't have gum in my mouth, like I'll throw a tantrum, like I'm a diva. Like I need gum. That's the one thing. Screw water. I need gum.

• 6:13Alex Cooper?

  We, what kind of gum?

• 6:16Speaker 02

  Anything peppermint, spearmint, I, it can die.

• 6:20Alex Cooper?

  No.

• 6:20Speaker 02

  Yeah. What else? I have to sit in the same spot on the bus on the way to the game every single time. I have to stand in the same spot for warm up behind my girl Tara. Um, there's so many things. I have to have at home games. I have to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the locker room. Red Bull's essential.

• 6:38Alex Cooper?

  Yup.

• 6:38Speaker 02

  For energy and psychotic behavior in the locker. So many things.

• 6:44Alex Cooper?

  No, the locker room before games like is feral like and there are some people that are so chill and quiet and then there are the people that are rowdy. Are you rowdy?

• 6:53Speaker 02

  Do you want to answer that? Um, yeah, I'm the person that the chill ones hate because we have the people in our locker room that have their headphones on. They're stretching, they're down. They're not talking to anybody. And I'm bouncing like a crazy person around the locker room. I'm like trying to take their headphones off. I'm like, come on, come on. So yeah, I'm the annoying person and I just can't help it. I can't be chill for a game because like I said earlier, it just psychs me out more and I get nervous. And I'm like, if I'm just on ten the entire time, you can't be scared.

• 7:25Alex Cooper?

  No, I was the same way. Like I would be the person just like talking and I wouldn't shut the fuck up and everyone be like Cooper, go sit in your fucking locker room. And I'm like, I don't want to sit in my locker and what like think about what's about to happen. I'd rather not.

• 7:37Speaker 02

  Manifest?

• 7:38Alex Cooper?

  Absolutely. No, never. So I pretend I'm like about to like go out for a fun night. Like I'm not thinking straight. Cause then the people that are meditating, you're like, my God, you have like a really strong brain and I don't want to be a part of that energy.

• 7:51Speaker 02

  Couldn't relate. Like what are we meditating about? What are we thinking? What's on the brain?

• 7:55Alex Cooper?

  Never. Obviously, especially during the Olympics, like the entire world was talking about you. Everyone knows your name. And I think aside from your talent, I think a lot of people in media, press, on social media, a lot of people wanted to hear you talk about and wanted to ask you about your dad. For those of the daddy gang that don't know of my audience, your father.

• 8:21Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 8:22Alex Cooper?

  Daddy gang, let me know.

• 8:24Speaker 02

  What's a dad?

• 8:26Alex Cooper?

  Cut that, cut that. What's a dad? Yeah, let's just kick it right off. You're like, what is a father? Let me know. Um, your dad is Dennis Rodman. He's one of the most famous basketball players of all time. He played alongside Michael Jordan. He had a very controversial career. He was known for crazy partying, hooking up with women, getting in trouble on and off the court. And you have never really talked about what was going on in your family behind the scenes. And today, we're gonna get into it. What made you feel ready?

• 9:00Speaker 02

  Oh, gosh. Ah, um, I think, well, just a warning. I laugh a lot when I'm trying to like talk about something serious.

• 9:08Alex Cooper?

  Okay.

• 9:09Speaker 02

  So I think with the dad situation, in terms of like what I've filtered and what I've talked about. I feel like me and my brother have been very generous with the way that we've talked about it. And very unselfish. I think we never want to make him look bad. And that is at the cost of kind of holding in a lot and a lot of issues that we've gone through and just like trauma per se.

• 9:36Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 9:37Speaker 02

  So I don't know. I just feel like I've been in a place of going through interviews where people are like, oh, is your dad there? Like, what's your dad feeling? And I feel like I've tried to make it obvious that I don't know. I don't know how he's feeling. I don't know where he is. Like, so for my own sanity, getting those questions, it frustrates me because I'm like, I don't want to blame the interviewers of like, okay, you don't deep dive into my life, but at the same time, I've made it clear that he's not present.

• 10:06Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 10:06Speaker 02

  So, yeah, I guess this is my opportunity to kind of talk more, I don't want to say negatively, but more realistic about it.

• 10:13Alex Cooper?

  Yeah, but I can imagine, like, I feel like I've sat down with so many people and it's like, it's tough when you're trying to protect someone that, yes, whether you love or you don't, or whatever your dynamic is, like, it's your dad. And they're, everyone has a very specific idea of your father, but none of us are his children, right? Like, We have an idea of what we saw on a Netflix special and what we watched back in the day. If you're watching his games, but you have a lived breathe experience of this man as your father that people are looking, I think, in a glamorized way for you to talk like, what's it like Dennis Rodman's your dad? This is so cool. And you're literally like, um, next question. So I think it's fair for you to talk about your life in a realistic

• 10:56Alex Cooper?

  way because you are also a public figure and you are famous in your own right now. And so you're allowed to speak about your experience. Let's go back to the beginning.

• 11:22Alex Cooper?

  Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Airbnb. So the other day I was just scrolling on my phone and one of those one year ago today notifications popped up. I usually don't pay much attention to them, but when I saw it was from my Napa trip with Lauren. I obviously had to go back through every single photo. I remember we drove up to Napa for a weekend and found the cutest farmhouse on Airbnb to stay in. The location could not have been more perfect. It was right by a vineyard and overlooked this beautiful golf course, which yes, Matt was very jealous of. During the day, we went wine tasting like a little

• 12:06Alex Cooper?

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• 12:49Alex Cooper?

  every trip feel more relaxed. You can even order groceries, which I love, for your trip through Airbnb and have everything from breakfast essentials to holiday snacks delivered after you arrive. If you're planning your Thanksgiving trip or any holiday travel this season, definitely check out Airbnb before you book. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by SoFi, the everything app for smarter money. If your money is scattered across five different apps you never open, you're not in control. Your money should move you forward. With SoFi, you get award-winning banking, investing, borrowing, and more all-in-one apps, so you finally know where your money is. Make your first move with SoFi Checking and Savings, competitive APY,

• 13:32Alex Cooper?

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• 14:15Alex Cooper?

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• 14:56Alex Cooper?

  getting all of these extra benefits on top of it, just, it makes sense, right? For all the reasons to choose T-Mobile, find yours at tmobile.com/membership. Qualifying plan required. Visit tmobile.com. We're gonna go back to the beginning. Where did you grow up and what was your hometown like?

• 15:15Speaker 02

  Okay, well, I grew up in Newport Beach, which as everyone kind of knows, it's a very wealthy area. And I loved growing up in Newport. It was amazing, beautiful place, but growing up in a wealthy place when you don't have money is a different struggle. And I think that was really difficult for me, my mom and my brother. Just because we were going to the schools where everyone had money and it was like, we're going to school. Like in high school, I was sharing a room with my mom, which is like crazy. So it's like just the little things of being a normal high schooler, a middle schooler where you're like, you want to invite friends over and it's like,

• 16:00Speaker 02

  not that I'm embarrassed of the way that I grew up, but at the time it was like, I don't want to invite friends over. I don't want them to know I sleep with my mom. Like, just like little stuff like that. So growing up in Newport was good, but hard because I want to like keeping up with the Joneses. I feel like that was kind of a struggle of like, people knew that we didn't have money, but it was more so like, how do we look not completely broke during that time? So, yeah, with like soccer and everything, we got help a lot from one of my club coaches, Greg Baker. He kind of set me up and helped me. Thank God I was talented or else I don't know where I would be, but he helped me and he

• 16:41Speaker 02

  um, gave me those opportunities that I wouldn't have had because I couldn't pay for certain things. So a lot of things

• 16:50Speaker 02

  we worked for, but also in a way were handed just because we were talented. So that did help. But yeah, especially with sports, it was very difficult to like travel and go to hotels and do these away trips when we didn't have the money to stay at these like Marriott's, like we were at like Holiday Inn, like that's what we could afford. So it was just hard because I would then find teammates. Is it okay if like I come? And then my mom couldn't come sometimes and it was just. Interesting, like we were trying, like we did the best at being humble and being grateful for everything. But at the same time, it was really hard.

• 17:23Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 17:23Speaker 02

  Even just like after school, like at a cookie truck, I'd be like, Mom, can I have a dollar for this cookie like one time? And I know that sounds horrible, but that has made me, I feel like more humble now.

• 17:34Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 17:34Speaker 02

  Experiencing that, being in a wealthy area and not having it, we made it through and we're great people and like it worked out, so.

• 17:42Alex Cooper?

  Going back though, like, okay, you talking about growing up in Newport and I agree, I feel like people that aren't obviously from California, but I feel like you hear about it or even you like watch the show, the O C in Orange County and Newport, like there's such extreme wealth. How do you think you, growing up and not having money, impacted you like as a kid in your personality? Like, were you shy? Were you reserved? Were you loud? Like, how, what, what kind of kid were you?

• 18:11Speaker 02

  Um, yeah, I think naturally I've always been a more outgoing person, especially when you get to know me, but I definitely think

• 18:21Speaker 02

  not having money to do certain things

• 18:26Speaker 02

  changed the way that I was with people because I wasn't as confident. And I also couldn't go to things that people were going to. It was like, oh, do you want to go? Even just going to like fast food and chilling in the parking lot. I was like, no, I don't have money to go to In-N-Out right now or to go to Krispy Kreme like I, and it was embarrassing to be like, hey, I don't have money. So I think, yeah, through, even now, like I have a really close friend from middle school that I'm still friends with, and that's like probably my one friend from middle school and then my friend from high school. Um, so that's like my two friends and those are the only people I hung out with. And even through high school, I went to a private school for one year. I was like eating. Lunch in the bathroom sometimes because me and my brother didn't have the same lunch and he was like my person.

• 19:12Speaker 02

  So like growing up, I would have all his same teachers, like I was a year after him. So I would just follow in his footsteps every single time. It was annoying because he was really good in school and I was horrible. So it was like they loved DJ and like hated me. But yeah, it was, we didn't have the same lunch. So I was like, didn't have friends to sit with. So I like lunch would happen. I didn't have money to pay for it at school. So then it was like, the bell rings and it's like, fuck, what do I do? Where do I go? Like, uh, do I go to a teacher's room? Do I just like, stay in the cafeteria and act like I'm just like talking to people that I'm not even friends with? Like it was so bizarre.

• 19:47Alex Cooper?

  But do you think you weren't making friends because you were just trying to like hide? Like it's not, or were people literally not liking you because they knew of your socioeconomic status?

• 19:56Speaker 02

  Both, because I feel like it went both ways. It was weird because for my brother, I feel like in the earlier years, it was harder for him to have friends, but as it went on, it was so easy. Like when we went to high school together, he had so many friends and like, that's who I was going to. Um, and then for me, it was completely different. So it's just weird and we know like girls are very catty.

• 20:18Alex Cooper?

  Yes.

• 20:18Speaker 02

  And like clicky and I felt like I had come late, like everyone had started freshman year. I got their sophomore year. So I had some soccer friends, but the vibes were just different. Like we were friends for soccer, but then in school it was like, okay. Not the same thing.

• 20:32Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 20:33Speaker 02

  So I don't know if it was just like people already had their cliques and I was just like, too shy to be like desperate and like try to push my way into certain groups. And I'm just not that person. Like if I'm feeling, you're not feeling me, then I'm, I'd rather sit in the bathroom.

• 20:47Speaker 02

  Um, yeah. So I think it's a mixture, which was unfortunate, but now looking back, it's like funny. Cause all those people are texting me now and it's like, hmm.

• 20:55Alex Cooper?

  Of course.

• 20:56Speaker 02

  Interesting.

• 20:57Alex Cooper?

  Uh huh. Go fuck yourselves.

• 20:58Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 20:59Alex Cooper?

  How old were you when your parents got divorced?

• 21:02Speaker 02

  Oh gosh. Um, Google help.

• 21:05Alex Cooper?

  I think, I think you were like two.

• 21:07Speaker 02

  I feel like I was dealing with it even when I was like old enough to remember it. But I don't know.

• 21:14Alex Cooper?

  It dragged on for many years. Do you remember like, how did you see that affect your mom of like this divorce dragging on for so many years?

• 21:22Speaker 02

  I mean, obviously I cannot speak for her experiences because she, I feel like she didn't even really have time to think about it just because she had to deal with me and my brother and my sister. That girl. Anyway, um, I think my mom was dealing with a lot of shit from my dad for so long and

• 21:42Speaker 02

  divorce was just like a name. That, that, that ship had sailed for the longest time and she knew that, we knew that. And it really was like before the divorce happened, my dad was actually helping money wise. So that was the difference of like, he would actually give money to my mom and let us kind of live life a little bit. But then it's when the divorce happened, it was just like, fuck you guys. Like we're not getting enough money to, we're getting enough money to pay rent barely. And then we were just, I don't even know how we made it work, but somehow we were making it happen and it was just crazy.

• 22:18Alex Cooper?

  When you say that your mom would, you kind of knew that like that ship had sailed, like your mom had been dealing with so much. Like, how did your mom talk about your dad and his absence to you and your siblings?

• 22:30Speaker 02

  My mom was really good at making every situation seem smoother than it actually was. And I think that's what parents do to protect their children. But yeah, I think even being young, it was like, he partied all the time. He has this beach house in Newport or Huntington or whatever, wherever. And it was like, we tried to live with him, but he's having parties 24 seven. He's bringing random bitches in like 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. Like I genuinely believe that. I think he doesn't know how to. I think they both felt the same way about each other, but it just, his demons were just too strong for it. But

• 23:15Speaker 02

  yeah, I think my mom just saw the situation of we love each other. It's not going to work. And for my kids, I can't have them seeing you

• 23:24Speaker 02

  treat me this way, embarrass me this way and have the party scene all the time. You have little babies.

• 23:30Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 23:30Speaker 02

  So, yeah.

• 23:32Alex Cooper?

  Do you have any recollection of like

• 23:36Alex Cooper?

  watching them fight in front of each other, like in front of you?

• 23:42Speaker 02

  Um.

• 23:44Speaker 02

  I don't really remember so much younger and I feel like. Me and my brother were very oblivious to it.

• 23:52Speaker 02

  But then, once we got older, when he was in our lives less and we were seeing him once, two, three, four times a year. Every time they were together, it was like. It was the same shit. It was my mom being valid and what the fuck are you doing? Like, help us and help your children. And he was just like, oh, you just use me for my money, ma, ma, ma. And even then, it was like. That was all the fight was ever about in front of us, at least. It was just the money part and helping your children. And even then, it was my dad, he likes to be in control. So like, he would take us shopping, get us phones, do this, do that. Oh, I'm gonna take you and your brother shopping. And me and my brother are like.

• 24:32Speaker 02

  We don't wanna go shopping. We don't wanna go shopping. We just want money to go get in and out after school with our friends. So it was like, he wouldn't give us money to do that. He needed to have the control of bringing us shopping and swiping his own card. But if we asked, hey, could we have a hundred to like, go get food, go, go to Claire's, get my ears pierced? Like, just little stuff like that. He was like, no. You're using me. You're trying, like, all this stuff.

• 24:54Alex Cooper?

  I think that's what's probably so confusing, even hearing you talk about this. Like, I think a lot of people would assume because you're Dennis Rodman's daughter. Money wasn't an issue for you growing up, but that obviously wasn't the case. Do you know why after the divorce, like, he would not pay child support?

• 25:12Speaker 02

  I think then it was kinda like, that's not my problem anymore. And.

• 25:18Speaker 02

  I don't even know. To try to justify his brain is so hard because. Even now, I genuinely believe he's still in love with my mom because he'll call me randomly and be like, how's your mom doing? Like, even before you ask how I'm doing. So. Whenever we would see each other, he was always just like, almost trying to get my mom to fall in love with him again. So that it could be a family thing, even if it was toxic. But I think once it was a divorce, it was like, alright, like you, this is on you, like.

• 25:50Alex Cooper?

  Yeah, I know you said like you were sleeping in a bed with your mom. Like, what was one of the worst circumstances, living wise, that you and your siblings had to go through during your childhood?

• 26:03Speaker 02

  It was, I'm like smiling about it because it was the best and worst situation, if that makes sense. So we had an expedition and we kind of lived in that for a little bit. Mind you, in Newport Beach.

• 26:18Alex Cooper?

  An expedition like a car?

• 26:19Speaker 02

  Yeah, like Newport Beach, we're going to, I think this is when we were at, what is it, Ensign by Newport Harbor. So we were still in Newport. So imagine living in a car, going to like a rich school. Like, it's the most weird thing, but we were living in a car, but then we could afford to stay in a motel for a little bit. So we were kind of back and forth, like what nights we could pay for, how many nights we could pay for. But I'm saying it's the best because me and my brother, my mom is obviously like prideful and like she never wants to be looked at that way of like not being able to provide for her kids. So like my mom's like, I'm sorry that we had to do that. I'm sorry that you had to go through that. But me and my brother are just like, what?

• 26:58Speaker 02

  That was so much fun. Like as a kid, we lived in a motel and our routine every morning, we would make those waffles in the waffle machine in the motel breakfast, like before school. And then we'd go in, my mom would let us go into the hot tub in the pool. So like, this is all preschool, like fun stuff in the morning. So this is like us getting up six thirty, seven AM. Making our waffles, jumping in the pool, chilling in the hot tub, playing, being like best friends and then showering, getting dressed. And then we would drive to school in this like beat up expedition when everybody else is in like Rolls Royces and Range Rovers and all that stuff. But for me and DJ, it was never. It was like never embarrassing in the weirdest way. It was weird.

• 27:42Speaker 02

  And we knew that we were kind of like the odd men out.

• 27:45Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 27:46Speaker 02

  In a sense, but we never ever would like rush out of the car or like be like, mom, pick us up over here or like. It was never like that. So yeah, going back, long story short, it's like worst and best situation because me and my brother look back and we're like, that was so fun in the weirdest way.

• 28:02Alex Cooper?

  How long do you think you lived?

• 28:04Speaker 02

  No.

• 28:04Alex Cooper?

  It you lived in a car for?

• 28:07Speaker 02

  It wasn't that long. We were in that motel for months. But again, it was fun, even as an adult, like, like that was fun.

• 28:14Alex Cooper?

  And I also think that's such a testament to your mom, right? Because I think as you get older and you start to recognize like the reality of life. The fact that you guys were able to see those moments as just genuinely so joyful, like your mom was protecting you in such a beautiful way and you had these like awesome memories. That's such a testament to your mother.

• 28:39Speaker 02

  Yeah, it's crazy. And I mean, she's not like she had an easy childhood, like she didn't have a father figure either. So. I mean, she, yeah, she went through her own struggles while somehow making our life extremely fun, being broke, which is insane because everything costs money. So how do you have fun? But it's just weird.

• 28:56Alex Cooper?

  Do you think you were like, you never found yourself ever resentful of your situation?

• 29:00Speaker 02

  No.

• 29:01Alex Cooper?

  That's amazing.

• 29:02Speaker 02

  Never resentful. Obviously there were times where it was like our friends would be doing stuff and we couldn't go.

• 29:07Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 29:08Speaker 02

  Or like, we just didn't want to go because we didn't want to ask people for money.

• 29:10Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 29:11Speaker 02

  So it was never resentment. It was more so like, damn, I wish I could have went there.

• 29:31Alex Cooper?

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• 30:16Alex Cooper?

  SoFi, get your money right. This is a paid advertisement by SoFi Technologies and is not intended to be financial advice. This is a paid ad by BetterHelp. I always think it is so important to find time to take care of myself because I think self-care for me, a lot of times is getting some alone time, even if it's just go on a 10-minute walk outside. Self-care can obviously look different at different stages of life and the ways that we practice it often evolve over time. But one possible way to take care of yourself is through therapy. Therapy with BetterHelp, one of the leading online therapy platforms, can be a space to prioritize your mental health, reflect on where you are and check in with yourself. With over 30,000 therapists worldwide, BetterHelp has served millions of people globally.

• 31:01Alex Cooper?

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• 31:42Alex Cooper?

  And when I'm listening to you talk right now, I'm like, okay, you're nine.

• 31:48Speaker 02

  So many things happened. It's crazy.

• 31:50Alex Cooper?

  Right? Like I'm like, hold on, this man is on a stage getting inducted into the Hall of Fame. And where are you when you're nine?

• 31:57Speaker 02

  No, and that's the crazy part is like, we still were going to those events like we were just a happy little family, like getting dressed, getting styled, like his jersey retirement, all those things that we attended to. While we're like not financially, like it was just the weirdest thing cuz it was like we did things for him and we've always done things for him. It's like he wanted to have a good image of having his family by him. And we were like, yeah, we'll go. So exciting like.

• 32:24Alex Cooper?

  So at that point in your life, just to try to get an understanding throughout, like I would say your first like fifteen years of life, let's say, how often would you see your dad?

• 32:34Speaker 02

  When we were younger, it was more.

• 32:36Alex Cooper?

  Okay.

• 32:38Speaker 02

  Way more. And then I think as we got older and understood the situation more, my mom became stronger in the situation. That's when it was less. And I I would say by the time we were in I'll say like seventh grade. Until even now, it was three, four times a year.

• 33:00Alex Cooper?

  Okay.

• 33:00Speaker 02

  When we lived in the same city.

• 33:02Alex Cooper?

  And did you ever live with him?

• 33:03Speaker 02

  When we were really young, but that's when we were like right after we were born.

• 33:07Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 33:08Speaker 02

  But that wasn't that long cuz my mom was over the party and she was just like, we're getting.

• 33:12Alex Cooper?

  We're done.

• 33:12Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 33:13Alex Cooper?

  In his acceptance speech, he said the one thing he regretted was not being a better father. You just rolled your eyes.

• 33:20Speaker 02

  Yeah, cuz it's just like.

• 33:24Speaker 02

  Do I believe him? Yeah, I do believe that he wishes that he could fight his demons.

• 33:33Speaker 02

  I roll my eyes because it's like you hear something so many times, but he does nothing to change it.

• 33:37Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 33:38Speaker 02

  And it's like, I wish I was a better dad. He said that in so many interviews, like I could pull them up.

• 33:41Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 33:42Speaker 02

  And it's like, okay.

• 33:43Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 33:44Speaker 02

  Then do something. And I think what the most frustrating part about it is is I think with how successful he was and how rich he was. He was surrounded by a lot of toxic people who would take his money and take advantage of him and cuz he was in alcohol. He was kind of brainwashed and all that, didn't really have control over anything.

• 34:04Speaker 02

  I don't know, that was just. So I think, again, the rolling eyes comes from, we tried to be that foundation and to be the good people around him. Because in reality, like, we never really asked for anything unless we really needed it.

• 34:20Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 34:21Speaker 02

  Like me, my mom and my brother, it was like, we just want you. And I don't, I think for him, he's never understood the fact, cause he's never experienced it. He's had messed up family issues as well. He's never understood that people could actually just want to be around him and to just want to like, make him happy. He's always thinking money, money, money, money, when it's like, no.

• 34:42Alex Cooper?

  Yeah, like what a horrible situation where you're like, wait, no dad, like we, yes, we're coming to you for money, cause we're literally living in a fucking car.

• 34:49Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 34:50Alex Cooper?

  But we also want you, but he's so paranoid of whatever's going on in his life that he can't like, accept what you guys are trying to give him. And so it's like this cat and mouse game where you guys feel like you're constantly being rejected, but you're coming with the best intentions.

• 35:06Speaker 02

  Yeah, and it's just hard, cause it's like, even now, I'm like trying to be honest about it and I'm still giving him sympathy, which is like frustrating for me because in reality, I think he's an extremely selfish human being. I think everything has always been about him. He's gone through shit, but at the same time, I'm like, he loves the spotlight. He loves the cameras. He loves bringing his children on stage and being like, oh, these are my kids, like all that stuff and even like, the mind. I've been, whoa, I've been cussing, that's new for me. I was gonna say the mind fuck, but like, of him, like for me emotionally, he's put me through like, oh my gosh, like,

• 35:47Speaker 02

  even just him not talking to me for months, months and months. And then he randomly calls and he's like, hey, like, I'm thinking of doing a TV show, reality TV show, you wanna join? I'm just like, whoa. So like, that's the part where I have so much anger towards it of like, why have I been so nice about someone who's so selfish? And that's the thing with our entire family is like, You said it in the beginning of like us protecting him when he's never once protected us. He's almost made it worse because he has put us in the public light at a young age. So I guess it's just like the anger that I haven't really been able to let out is like difficult for me.

• 36:25Alex Cooper?

  Yeah, but I feel like hearing you say this, like I've had people sit in that exact chair and it's like fucked up dynamics with parents is so complicated because at the end of the day, they're still your parent and there's like almost a brainwash you experience of like you still want their love, you still want their validation, you still want them to like you, you still want him to like come to your games and think you're great and like see how great you're doing. But at the same time, you also want to be like, fuck you, you've never done anything for us like and it's like this battle of I get why I wouldn't expect anything other than you sitting here and going back and forth of like trying to protect him because you've never spoken about this. So I want to give you grace also like you're doing great because you are doing a really great job of explaining this like

• 37:10Alex Cooper?

  hard push and pull you have because it's your dad.

• 37:13Speaker 02

  Yeah. And that's like what you're saying is like the weirdest thing because even when I'm like even like going through a season where you're just like, damn, I'm so over this. Like I just want to go home and sleep. In moments like that, I'm like, damn, I wish I could just get a hug from my dad when I don't even have that connection with him. Like when he showed up at my game. I was like so mad.

• 37:35Alex Cooper?

  Yeah, can we talk about that for a second?

• 37:37Speaker 02

  I first saw him. Yeah, I kind of already start talking about everything, but

• 37:41Alex Cooper?

  It's okay.

• 37:41Speaker 02

  Yeah, he showed up to my game. My mom had no idea until he was like there and I think she got a call or something. But they were in the sweet

• 37:50Speaker 02

  field side and I again going in my rookie year, going into a quarterfinal, like I'm already shitting my pants as it is. Like I'm like stressed, like, oh my gosh, like we have to win. We go, I'm playing. I think it's like.

• 38:03Speaker 02

  halfway through the first half and I hear it and like his voice to me is like so I hear him go let's go Rodman let's go Trinity and I'm like oh my fucking gosh like there's no way this is happening right now mind you I haven't seen him and or talked to him months months so I hear and I'm like I'm playing a game not like uh throw in nothing like I'm playing a game and I hear I'm running I'm like oh my gosh so I'm still playing and I'm like there's no way I'm like chasing the ball down trying to figure out a goal kick happens right I'm defending a goal kick and I'm like in my stance kind of and I look back and I'm like what the fuck I look straight and I like start crying on the field

• 38:46Speaker 02

  so I'm trying to play the soccer game and I'm I'm crying and I don't know if we got a water break I think there was like an injury or water break yeah cuz we go into the huddle and I go to Ashley Sanchez which is like one of my best friends go to her in the huddle while our coach is trying to give us direction of like what's working what's not working cuz like we were playing horrible the first half I'm looking at Ash I'm crying no one knows what the fuck's going on I'm looking at Ash and I'm like dude my dad's here and she knew immediately she was like oh fuck she gave me a hug she was like it's okay let's just finish this half like we'll talk in the locker room at halftime just finish this half don't think about it I was like sure let me just forget easy advice um so yeah finish that half and then

• 39:25Speaker 02

  cry my eyes out in the locker room at halftime and my coach was like do you want do you wanna play and I was like yeah I wanna win hello I'm like he is not gonna take me from winning this either

• 39:37Speaker 02

  so yeah we finished the game

• 39:39Alex Cooper?

  were you able to like play well

• 39:40Speaker 02

  yeah so I took the shot ricocheted back and Hatch scored it for us to win

• 39:48Speaker 02

  and then after the game when we were winning there's that part in your head where like the whistle's gonna blow the whistle's gonna blow and all I was thinking was like oh my god I'm gonna see him and I'm gonna talk to him like what's gonna happen the whistle blew and I was so like mad I was like you took this happy moment from me like you fuck with my head again and he did it so many times and I don't even know no I think he knows what he does but When the game ended, I was so angry. I was happy we won, but I was just like. And then I started getting mad at my mom because I was like, she had to have known. Why didn't she tell me like all this stuff? And then I walk over. And again, there's cameras everywhere. Dennis Rodman's at the game, blah, blah. And I walk over there and all I did was cry. I was like, I'm walking over there so mad, like fuck you.

• 40:31Speaker 02

  I walk over there, he grabs my head and I just start bawling into his arms as if like it's a daddy daughter like. And I'm just like, this is the first game you've come to quarterfinal, you missed the entire season, haven't seen my games in three, four, five years. And I'm just like bawling. I was, I cried and then I was super happy. I was like. Let's take the positive of it. He's here. Like that's more than I can ask. So then we go into like this friends and family part after we're like talking, whatever. He's asking me how everything's going. It's like. Honestly, like a pretty wholesome thing. Like, oh my gosh, imagine. So we're just like talking, catching up and then. I don't remember how it was left. I think I just went home beside training the next day. And we just kind of left it at that. And he was just like, I want to see you soon. I'm in DC, whatever. And I was like, okay.

• 41:17Speaker 02

  And then after that, radio silence. I didn't see him for like.

• 41:22Speaker 02

  Until this year. I didn't talk to him or see him. Yeah, until I think.

• 41:31Speaker 02

  No. Yeah, right after the World Cup.

• 41:34Alex Cooper?

  Wait, how many years ago was this?

• 41:36Speaker 02

  Three. This is twenty twenty one.

• 41:39Alex Cooper?

  So that happens in twenty twenty one.

• 41:40Speaker 02

  And I'm talking to media. I put out this huge post like. We're not perfect. I love my dad. Like this could be to start something new. Like I know blah, blah, blah. Like being super nice about it. Like. Just grateful that he even showed up. I'm like, I don't know what it has in store, but I'm just happy that we got to have this moment together. Stupid me for thinking that was going to be some type of like news spark because that was me every single time. He would come around and I'd be like, okay. Here it is again. We're going to start something. He's going to be around. Boom, months and months and months. This time was years and I was just like, okay, cool. And so then it's like after that, then it's media outlets asking about the post, asking about him being there. So I'm like super positive. I'm just like. Yeah, like obviously it was really emotional. I'm really happy. Months and months go by. I'm still talking about it on media and I'm just like, fuck.

• 42:26Speaker 02

  Here we go again. So then it was just like, I think after that was when. I lost hope in like ever getting him back. It was just going to be like a. He's popping in whenever he wants to be in a camera and even at that game, I don't think it was for me. I think he wanted to have a good conscious conscience and then be like headline Dennis Rodman showed up to his daughter's game. An important quarter final in her rookie year and that's exactly what it was.

• 42:52Alex Cooper?

  That's what I was gonna say, like I went and looked at that Instagram post and it like my heart sunk for you because obviously like I knew somewhat of the conversation we were gonna have today, but I had obviously no idea of like the gravity of it. And it's so disheartening because you're right, like you walking over to him in that moment. It was all about the cameras. You couldn't have a normal reaction to be like, where the fuck have you been? And like you saying you're on the field angry. And then you don't get to have a normal moment with your father where a normal person could go up and be like, what the fuck? Instead, it's like everyone smile for the cameras and be happy. And then before you even get to have like a debrief the next day, like he's gone.

• 43:33Alex Cooper?

  Can you talk to me about like, didn't he like always change his phone numbers?

• 43:38Speaker 02

  Yeah, even now, like I don't have his number saved. I think he, cause he had called me like even these past couple of weeks. He's been trying to call me and I was just a Texas number, didn't know he lived in Texas. So that's news to me. So I'm just thinking it's like spam risk, like all this stuff. And I'm like, okay, did they just like spam calls like normal? I get those all the time. So I was ignoring it and then I see like voicemails from it and I'm like, and then I look and I hear it for a second. I was like, fuck. And I think I heard it for a second because I saw that the voicemail was 40 seconds long. I was like, no, I'm not doing that. And it's just like a hit or miss day for me. It's like, if I want to go through that or not, and I'm just like, no.

• 44:12Alex Cooper?

  Why is he always changing his phone number?

• 44:14Speaker 02

  I don't know if it's changing or losing his phones or what, but again, he never has an iPhone. He always has a flip phone and I honestly think he'll just like trash them and get new ones.

• 44:22Alex Cooper?

  Of him calling you in like in moments throughout your life and those moments where you're like, sometimes I have the patience, sometimes I don't. Is there any time he like called you that you remember and it like really fucked with you? Whether you were like about to go into a specific event in your life or you were in a specific situation and he calls and you like, were like, this completely fucked me up and ruined my day, kind of like the game?

• 44:44Speaker 02

  Yeah, I think it fucks me up every single time. Even I think now hearing his voice is like painful because I think it's missing him mixed with he's an alcoholic. And again, that's something that I don't want to say, but I'm just like, fuck it. Like it's just the truth and like. Hearing even the past five years, hearing the difference in the way that his sentences go together. And now I'm like, like I genuinely keep, I'm like, he's gone, like it feels like he's gone. And like hearing him talk, I'm just like, like, I answer the phone now for like my conscience to be like,

• 45:25Speaker 02

  if something does happen, God forbid, I wanna know that like I did that. Or if he needed to hear my voice before anything happens, like that's why I answer the phone, not for me. But then I answer the phone and I have that conversation and I hear the way he's talking and how gone and drunk he is and I'm just like,

• 45:46Speaker 02

  that was horrible. I'm like, that did nothing for me, like if something were to happen. If I would have had that phone call and if I wouldn't have, I would have felt the same way.

• 45:55Alex Cooper?

  Well, that's what, but you saying that and I feel like there's a lot of people listening that can probably relate to having someone in their life that struggles with alcohol or substance abuse. And it's like, the point you just hit on, which I think is so debilitating and it keeps you kind of like a captive because it's like, you're held captive to your dad because the thought is if this had his last moment and he's calling me and he wants to hear my voice. So there's a world where you're gonna pick up every fucking time, cuz you're so fucking scared.

• 46:22Speaker 02

  For somebody else, essentially, like living to make someone else happy.

• 46:25Alex Cooper?

  Have you, have you figured out any form of boundaries that you has worked or no?

• 46:32Speaker 02

  It's hard to make boundaries when he's like, it's a rare occurrence. Like if he were say calling me randomly every single week, okay, cool. But it's like so random that I'm like, you don't know when the next phone call is gonna come. So it's like, what is a boundary?

• 46:44Alex Cooper?

  What is the closest you've ever had with your father of like a heart to heart, somewhat scratching the surface of like, this is why he is the way he is. Like, has he ever spoken about his struggle with alcohol to you and tried to explain his behavior?

• 47:03Speaker 02

  No, but I think not with the alcohol. With loving people, he's talked to me and my mom about of just the lack of love that he's received from his parents. Or his dad relationship is.

• 47:21Speaker 02

  Kind of translates into how he loves other people. Cause he loved my mom. I do not question that. She does not question that. He treated her like shit. So it's just weird and it's like to me, even after everything I said, he treats me the best. I'm like still his little princess and I can't do any wrong.

• 47:42Speaker 02

  He, growing up, he treated my brother like shit too. Said fuck you, you're not good enough. What are you doing with basketball? You're not. And that's, yeah, that's touching on a whole different thing with the hate that my brother gets being in the same sport. Like I don't even. People and the insensitivity with that. It's like you're never as good as your dad, all this stuff. It's like, he doesn't have to be. And also, he's not around. And I think too, I'm like just blabbling.

• 48:07Alex Cooper?

  No, you're doing great.

• 48:07Speaker 02

  But that's also another thing of like. That's the most he's talked to me about in terms of like loving my brother, the like the man to man thing. He doesn't know how to father in general, but especially to it. Like he doesn't know how to show that. Like with me and my mom, he could at least hug us. Like he knows how to do that. He doesn't know how to do that with my brother. And that's just, I mean, caused a lot of issues with my brother's confidence and obviously hearing your dad say like, you're not good enough, all this stuff. And it's like. Too like playing with Bronny. It's like you see Bronny and you see LeBron and it's like that is picture perfect, like holy. So even that is just a whole nother thing for my brother and I don't want to speak for him. I'm sure when he's ready, if he's ever ready to talk about that, that's just.

• 48:52Speaker 02

  Another thing that my dad doesn't realize he's affected so much of our like day to day.

• 49:00Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 49:00Speaker 02

  Like the reason my brother gets hate for basketball is because of him.

• 49:04Alex Cooper?

  And I think like we would all, I agree with you when you're talking about the LeBron and Bronny situation, but like I think we would all be idiots if we didn't think to ourselves like. Damn, that's fucking hard for that kid. Like, that looks great, but even that is so fucking hard. So imagine your brother.

• 49:20Speaker 02

  Yeah, and I'm not, yeah, I did not make, mean to make that sound like a walk in the park.

• 49:25Alex Cooper?

  No, I'm validating what you're saying of like, it looks like, wow, look how great that is. But it's like, even that, one can imagine how difficult that is of like, being the son of LeBron James. You're like, damn, this is hard. And like, but the fact that LeBron is embracing his kid, being like, come with me, let you show you around. It's like, your brother, and I agree, like, not to speak for him, but I can only imagine the hurt it feels to have a passion that is essentially like constantly stripped of you because you're being constantly compared to your dad. When what your guys are really talking about, you're like, I don't want to be fucking compared to him.

• 49:58Speaker 02

  Yeah, and that's, yeah, 100%. And yeah, the Bronny and LeBron's, like, I've seen the hate that Bronny gets too. It's unbelievable to, to try to live up to being the GOAT of LeBron James. But yeah, I think with my brother, it's just,

• 50:12Alex Cooper?

  You're never enough.

• 50:13Speaker 02

  Like, it's sad. And like, no one can tell him that he's enough because the one person that he wants to say is,

• 50:21Alex Cooper?

  Enough.

• 50:22Speaker 02

  Yeah. So it's, yeah, it's tough.

• 50:25Alex Cooper?

  Were you hesitant to talk about the real situation with your dad because of the hype around the Rodman name? Like, do you think people are gonna still like, not not believe what you're saying today, but do you think people will still downplay it? Cause it's like,

• 50:40Speaker 02

  Cause I also think people look at us like, oh, poor, poor me. Like, we're just trying to like, get a check or like, oh, pity story, try to like, create this thing. But I think, yeah, they're always, I think there's a lot of times where there's, it's always gonna be like, everyone on my dad's side, like, when, for like, Father's Day. Like, that day is shitty for people that don't have father figures. So for us, like, our coping mechanism for it was posting our mom. Like, happy Father's Day, thanks for being both. And that was, that's no disrespect to the father figures. Like, still, a day to celebrate dads and fathers. But for us, that's our dad. That's our mom and our dad in the weirdest way. And even just comments like that, like, don't disrespect him like that. It's like, that's not disrespect. He's not a dad.

• 51:22Alex Cooper?

  Right.

• 51:23Speaker 02

  He's a person, he's not a dad. Maybe by blood, but nothing else.

• 51:27Alex Cooper?

  Yeah, do I, if it almost feels like people are like frustrated that you speaking about what he was like as a dad is gonna threaten his legacy as a basketball player? Which is so fucked.

• 51:42Alex Cooper?

  How do you think talking about this today is gonna affect you and like impact the way you approach interviews moving forward?

• 51:50Speaker 02

  I'm just like not gonna give a fuck, honestly. Like that's how I feel though, cuz I watch interviews back and I'm like ew, why does, why do I look so scared? Like this is like my story.

• 51:59Alex Cooper?

  Right.

• 52:00Speaker 02

  And like there are times where he gets brought up where I'm just like, yeah, like, yeah, he's like, I know he's proud of me, like, uh, and I'm like ew. Like just say how you feel. And even sometimes I wish I just, like, when people ask, oh, like, is he gonna come to one of the Olympic Games? I don't know. And other, like, I'll dodge it and I'll be like, oh, like, my mom's gonna be here, I'm gonna give her a hug and I'm like, great answer. From a, from a PR team.

• 52:25Alex Cooper?

  Perfect answer.

• 52:26Speaker 02

  She, in reality, like.

• 52:29Alex Cooper?

  You don't know.

• 52:29Speaker 02

  Not to be a diva, but I'm just like, I wanna be like, I don't know.

• 52:32Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 52:33Speaker 02

  How am I supposed to know? Like, and that's it. That's, that's the end.

• 52:37Alex Cooper?

  True.

• 52:38Speaker 02

  You make me feel uncomfortable, I'm gonna make you feel uncomfortable. And I feel like I've been so comfortable being uncomfortable and I'm just.

• 52:45Alex Cooper?

  Done. You're fucking done. Obviously, there's been like, I think the rise of your career has been fucking incredible, Trinity. Like, you're so fucking talented in your own right. And I can imagine moments like this where you are having this like Olympic run and your name is everywhere. And yes, you're sitting there and people are asking you like, oh, is your, is your dad gonna come? And is your dad gonna see the game? And it's like, why can't I just be enough? How has your relationship with your dad affected your love life?

• 53:17Speaker 02

  You know what's funny about this is that like I literally just figured out what it affected. Like, I would say a week ago.

• 53:23Alex Cooper?

  What, what did it affect?

• 53:24Speaker 02

  Um, I think my love language is affection and like physical touch. But I think that's because I never got that from my dad and I never got that type of love. And because of that, he didn't show that to my brother either. So my brother's very similar to my dad in the way that he loves. Like, he's, I don't wanna say cold, but he's not a lovey dovey, squishy person in a relationship. So I don't get that from my brother or my dad. So I think.

• 53:58Speaker 02

  The way that I am in relationships, I don't want to say high maintenance, but I think the top priority for me is like feeling wanted and feeling like I want to be pulled in for a hug all the time. Like I don't want to pass you in the living room and for you to not want to touch my butt or like kiss me on the cheek or like just do something.

• 54:17Alex Cooper?

  Right.

• 54:17Speaker 02

  I know people can relate to that, but I genuinely feel like that has made me crazy.

• 54:24Alex Cooper?

  I love you.

• 54:27Alex Cooper?

  Okay, wait, did you have any relationships where you started to be like, fuck, I need to figure my shit out in the past? Cause like we've all had fucked up relationships romantically. Like, did you see any of your family trauma seeping into your relationships that you can share with people, maybe that have similar situation to you?

• 54:44Speaker 02

  Yeah, I think

• 54:48Speaker 02

  my first relationship, I think obviously first relationships are always like kind of a what is love? What are we doing?

• 54:54Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 54:54Speaker 02

  Um, I think then I was extremely insecure in myself and I kind of let

• 55:03Speaker 02

  the person walk all over me in a sense, but again, I don't regret any relationship. I think they've all helped me so much and I'm still cordial with like everyone that I've been with, but I put up with a lot because I didn't have validation. So I feel like it's done a three sixty now, but I would say I was really insecure and let a lot of shit slide back then.

• 55:24Alex Cooper?

  Like what?

• 55:25Speaker 02

  Like hanging out with

• 55:28Speaker 02

  the boys, right? Love that sentence, right? Right? Oh, hanging out with the boys. Okay, fuck off.

• 55:37Speaker 02

  But it'd be like hanging out with the boys and I'd be like, damn, I wanted to hang out with you tonight and happens and then there's like 10 girls there. I'm your girlfriend. Wh- what do you mean? And those are also not the boys. So just something like that. And even that was the weirdest thing. It was that my brother was best friends with him. So my brother was there. So it was a push and pull with him of like, that's my best friend, but you're My sister's crying all the time.

• 56:05Alex Cooper?

  My sister is sobbing. Get it together.

• 56:08Speaker 02

  I learned a lot from that relationship. I think that was great. And like, even with that, we were still like best friends in the weirdest way, but I learned a lot of things of like, I'm not taking that shit. And I think that then helped me in my next relationship of like, I felt most confident in my next relationship and then it was a different struggle of like, I'm so confident and I'm so happy that now I'm like too reliant on this relationship. And now I'm like isolating myself from everybody else because I'm like addicted to the feeling that he's given me, like the, the love and affection and like, you're beautiful and all this stuff. So that was just another issue that I had to work through.

• 56:46Alex Cooper?

  Well, I was gonna say too, I feel like a, a big theme throughout our conversation of like, talking about your growing up and talking about your relationship with your father, like there has been a lot of instability in the way that he communicates with you and his actions, like you even saying, like the drinking problem, like I remember I wrote down like, at one point, your dad made really, had a lot of controversial moments, obviously, but like the one where he befriended a dictator in North Korea and like,

• 57:18Alex Cooper?

  it's really not funny, but like, we can laugh, but like, you having to read that about your dad, that is a lot of like, one day you don't hear from him, one day you're reading something on the news, like, it, that's very like destabilizing to like your reality of like your everyday, this person pops in or you hear this on the news that your dad is making friends with a dictator in North Korea, like, how have you learned throughout the years to just like, stabilize your own reality and like, keep your bubble as safe as you can when all the rest around you is kind of moving?

• 57:48Speaker 02

  It's obviously so, it's just so weird. And it's like so hard not to be hurt by certain things, like reading things, getting updates through media. And then people ask you and you're like, you probably knew before I did, or you probably honestly know more than I do. Like, it's so, so, so weird. Or just like little stuff like,

• 58:12Speaker 02

  Him not being in my life and then like other people and I'm not throwing shade at anybody but like I remember Angel Reese had wore his jersey to a game and then there was a picture of them and like all like he is a really famous basketball player and like style wise, everything like inspiring, but I think as a daughter seeing that it's like no shade, but it's like, damn, I wish that was me. I wish I was taking a picture with him. I wish I was wearing his jersey. Like when I wear his jersey, I feel like it's not like holy shit, but like when Angel Reese wears it, it's like Angel Reese is wearing Dennis Rodman's jersey. And like, I think that's like a a sting to me and I don't want to sound like bitchy at all because again, statement like pop off. But for me as his daughter, it's like

• 58:58Speaker 02

  ah dad, what the hell? Like it's just weird. And those are the things you have to filter and it's like, okay, it's fine. It's fine. It's fine.

• 59:07Alex Cooper?

  Yeah. But again, I think it's like, I think if I'm taking anything from this, it's also like, it's still a work in progress of like you, he is your biological father, a part of you is there is parts of him, right? And so like you love this person in ways that you can't describe and as much as he hurts you. There's those push and pull moments where you're like, fuck dad, why do you have to be like this? And then I also think it's really inspiring to hear you talk about like how you're like, no, I am carving my own path. And now can we just talk about like you as your own career? Like you are so fucking successful. You fucking crush it. You have a fucking gold medal on your nightstand that you're like, I forgot where it is. Where is it again? Where is it?

• 1:00:05Alex Cooper?

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• 1:00:48Alex Cooper?

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• 1:01:28Alex Cooper?

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• 1:02:09Alex Cooper?

  Winning and succeeding and being so successful and having sponsors and and being a woman in sports in general is so fucking hard to do. Like, how do you fucking enjoy it for yourself and don't let this bullshit get to you some days? Like, who do you celebrate with? Who do you talk to about your success, individual of your dad?

• 1:02:30Speaker 02

  I don't know. I feel like it's really hard to celebrate it in the weirdest way like. One, because it's just nonstop all the time and like I'm so grateful for every opportunity, but sometimes I'm just like, I wish I had a moment to take a breath and be like. I did that like holy. So. To say like, who do I celebrate with? I. I don't know. Because I don't think that I really do. Like obviously like I I'm happier. I'll watch a clip of like the Olympics, the goal. I'm like, oh my god, like ah. But it's little moments like that. Like it's just rewatching a clip of something, but I don't think.

• 1:03:05Speaker 02

  Genuinely.

• 1:03:08Speaker 02

  I really think or celebrate myself. I think it's more so. Especially in interviews and stuff. It's like, how proud are you? And it's like. It's such a copy and paste answer through every interview. It's just like. I'm I can't even find the words. I'm like a robot. I'm like, I'm so happy. Like I like it's indescribable. I'm twenty two and have a gold medal. And it's like even in those moments, it's like genuinely deep down. I feel so proud of myself, but it's so repetitive and so like robotic that. I can't. I don't think of it that way. I'm just like, say it for the media and like.

• 1:03:44Alex Cooper?

  No, but I think that's like really fucking relatable. Like I think that's not like just. You. I think that if you ask a lot of people when they have such intense success. I think it's so hard to try to grasp what's happening in the moment. Because that would mean you have to stop and I think you need time to process as a human being. And I feel like it sucks in one way, but you also especially as athletes. It's like. You gotta keep fucking going because even when you win, like you said, what did you say to me at the beginning of this? You said. Oh, I didn't even have time to celebrate the gold because what did you go do?

• 1:04:20Speaker 02

  Go play for a freaking championship and lost. That was annoying, but um.

• 1:04:24Alex Cooper?

  But you flew back to America?

• 1:04:25Speaker 02

  No, I literally played, I think, less than a week after I got back. No, that was that.

• 1:04:30Alex Cooper?

  Dude.

• 1:04:31Speaker 02

  A lie I led. Um, I think it was like a week and a half, but I played in the first game back and it was scored. But still, my legs were on fire and I was dying.

• 1:04:40Alex Cooper?

  I think women are obviously so scrutinized in general, but sports specifically, I think, has been like a huge topic recently in a great way. But what do you think is the hardest part about being a female athlete?

• 1:04:53Speaker 02

  Oh, my gosh.

• 1:04:54Alex Cooper?

  I know. You're like, do you have nine hours?

• 1:04:57Speaker 02

  Um, I think.

• 1:05:01Speaker 02

  The recognition for one, I think. Even just in in conversation, it's like, oh, who do you play for a spear? And they're like, what's that? I'm like, uh.

• 1:05:09Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 1:05:10Speaker 02

  But I'm like, I don't know. I would say recognition, pay, obviously. Like even just being on media and it's like, obviously NBA NFL makes way more money, has way more viewers, like not taking that away, but I think. Seeing the contracts and then looking at ours, I'm just like, fuck. I'm so grateful to be making the money that I make right now at my age, but I look and I'm just like.

• 1:05:35Speaker 02

  Just like.

• 1:05:37Speaker 02

  But also I'd say another big thing is like.

• 1:05:41Speaker 02

  The human aspect of it, like.

• 1:05:45Speaker 02

  I just feel like with me- male sports with men, it's like. They're out here. Going to concerts, on stage, going to clubs, going to all this. And it's like, oh. Here this person is at a club drinking like two nights before a game. And it's just like, okay, normal. But it's like, I feel like me and my teammates will go out one night on an off weekend and we're like, we see a camera and we're like, oh, my gosh, what if? What if our coach finds out? What if somebody posts it like? And we're not even getting drunk. Like, we're just going to like be in public and just like.

• 1:06:15Alex Cooper?

  Feel the vibes.

• 1:06:16Speaker 02

  Yeah, just like feel like something.

• 1:06:20Alex Cooper?

  We're just here to feel something. We're dead sober. We've had like half of a cocktail.

• 1:06:24Speaker 02

  I'm like drinking Red Bull the whole time. It's like, ah, okay.

• 1:06:28Alex Cooper?

  No, but I get what you're saying. It's like the double standard of like, why can't it again, though? Like, it hasn't changed, though, I guess, is what we're also saying. It's like, your dad was known for, I watched the Michael Jordan doc on like the whatever the fuck, the last something. Sorry. Oh, my God.

• 1:06:44Speaker 02

  All the Last Dance.

• 1:06:45Alex Cooper?

  Yeah, the Last Dance. Sorry.

• 1:06:46Speaker 02

  I do know that fact.

• 1:06:48Alex Cooper?

  The Last Dance. And he's on a flight to Vegas and he comes back and he shows up in the middle and he's ready for the game. And it's like, if women behaved the same way that men did, it just, you wouldn't be in the position you're in because we are expected to act differently and to speak differently in media and to present ourselves differently. And it's exhausting. And especially when you're getting to see men act a certain way and get bigger paychecks. Like, it fucking sucks. It sucks.

• 1:07:17Speaker 02

  Yeah, it does. Definitely. And I think, yeah, it's just annoying.

• 1:07:22Alex Cooper?

  It's just annoying. No, but can I say, I do really respect you for sitting down with me today for a numerous amount of reasons. But when talking about the women in sports, I feel like something that, as someone that used to play, but doesn't play anymore and is now in media, like, I think something that can contribute to the sport's growing is this.

• 1:07:45Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:07:45Alex Cooper?

  Is the athletes becoming more well-known for who they are individual of the sport? Because sports are fucking amazing. We love sports. But who is Trinity Rodman outside of being on the field? And like, I think that's what gets people so fucking excited and incentivized on top of being a great big sports lover. Like, there may be some people I remember doing my show and people were like, oh, fuck, I like, watched soccer games and I've never watched a soccer game in my life, but I just like tuned in because like, I listened to Call or Daddy and like, now I kind of love it. And it's like, whatever we can do to get people to tune in, I think is so important because like, women do deserve the recognition that they don't get. So I appreciate you fucking speaking up, even if it's about something that you didn't want to talk about.

• 1:08:29Speaker 02

  Well, no, no, like, I appreciate it too, even if it makes me uncomfortable, I think, too, like, obviously, like, getting to know the person outside the sport, but also like, We are going to have a life outside of soccer. Like if an injury happens or when we retire, like you can only play so long. So it's like, what is our life after that? And like, if we're only known for soccer, it is so hard to pick up the pieces and figure out what you're doing after that. So I think for me, even growing up, like anyone close to me could tell you that I've always wanted soccer. Like I've always wanted to be an Olympic athlete, like World Cup winner, like everything. But through everything I've always said, I don't want soccer to be my entire bane of existence. Like I don't want to live, die, breathe soccer. And I know a lot of athletes that do.

• 1:09:10Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 1:09:11Speaker 02

  Respect, but I just think in the future, live, die, breathe soccer is not gonna help me in the long run. And then I'm just gonna feel like I lack purpose. Once I'm done playing. And I feel like I'm trying to figure that out. But yeah, moments like this really help me.

• 1:09:27Alex Cooper?

  Yeah. Look at your personality shining. You walking around with your ass out, waiting for your boyfriend to smack your ass. Your outfit?

• 1:09:33Speaker 02

  What's happening?

• 1:09:34Alex Cooper?

  Your outfit?

• 1:09:34Speaker 02

  My sweat's dripping down my head.

• 1:09:35Alex Cooper?

  So I know I'm sweating. Okay, last question. What do you want your legacy in the sport to be?

• 1:09:42Speaker 02

  I feel like my answer is simple. Just like, I want to be the athlete that brought the fun to sport. That's simple. I don't want to be the one that scored a thousand goals. Like I don't need to be the person that was like, she was the best athlete. I want to be like, she was a great athlete, but she also made it fun to watch and be a part of. Ooh. Drop the mic.

• 1:10:03Alex Cooper?

  Period. That, that.

• 1:10:06Speaker 02

  Life's too short.

• 1:10:08Alex Cooper?

  Thank you so much for coming on Call Her Daddy. You crashed. Yeah. Thanks for listening to me.

• 1:10:12Speaker 02

  Thank you.

• 1:10:27Alex Cooper?

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• 1:11:10Alex Cooper?

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