Former NBA champion Dennis Rodman took a shot at Jacksonville Jaguars rookie sensation Travis Hunter over the situation with the Heisman Trophy winner’s now-wife.
Despite many suggesting that Lenee was taking advantage of the fame of the two-way talent, Hunter tied the knot this summer and has been happily married for months.
But Rodman doesn’t seem to buy it. The 64-year-old appeared on a recent stream of YouTuber N3on.
‘A 21-year-old young man, what advice could you give me to evolve as a human being?’ the streamer asked.
After a pause, Rodman replied, ‘Just don’t be Travis Hunter,’ before bursting into laughter. ‘I’m sorry, breaking news, what the hell… I don’t give a s**t if it’s real or not, s**t, it’s fake news.’
Over the past year, Lenee has been at the center of a firestorm of hate from online commenters – especially over perceived slights directed at Hunter – during the 2024 college football season.
NBA legend Dennis Rodman (L) took a brutal shot at Travis Hunter and Leanna Lenee
Hunter, the Heisman Trophy winner and second-round pick, married Lenee this summer
That season ended with Hunter winning the Heisman Trophy, the second ever won by a player from the University of Colorado, and led to him getting picked second-overall by Jacksonville.
A few weeks later, Hunter and Lenee would tie the knot in Tennessee at a glamorous wedding following years of dating.
But those years of affection and dating were ignored by trolls who lobbed accusations of gold digging and fame hunting toward Lenee throughout 2024.
Recently, Lenee showed an insight into how that hatred affected her. In a post to Tik Tok last month, she posted footage of her from back in December – crying fresh out of the shower.
The post had the sound of a Church sermon playing behind it while Lenee spoke into the camera. However, nothing that she said was audible.
Instead, context for the footage was given in the caption of the video.
‘I wish I could go back and hug December me, because oh baby, God was about to change your heart in the most important and beautiful way,’ Lenee wrote.
‘I don’t even recognize this girl anymore. The amount you can grown [sic] and develop in just 6 months of devoting your life to Jesus and getting away from the shackles of the world and social media is truly astounding.
Lenee shared video of herself from back in December, showing her crying out of the shower
‘I wish the peace I found within Jesus on everyone who reads this. Your identity in him matters, not how people choose to perceive you.’
Comments under the video were supportive, including one from WNBA superstar Angel Reese which read, ‘so proud of you bb! the storm doesn’t last forever!’
2024 was a rocky season for Lenee and Hunter’s relationship as the public cast doubts on Lenee’s motives for dating the star.
This forced Lenee to defend herself in a lengthy eight-minute video posted after Hunter won the Heisman.
As Hunter was announced as the winner of the prestigious award, Lenee initially remained sitting while Hunter’s mother and Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders stood up.
She briefly stood and gave Hunter a hug after Sanders appeared to tap her, but promptly sat back down as Hunter continued embracing his group.
Fans took issue with what they believed to be a slight, sparking horrific backlash on social media.
The couple went through a tough season where Lenee was barraged with public criticism
She was accused of being a gold digger before she tied the knot with the ex-Colorado standout
It’s one of many perceived snubs Lenee had to address. Others included a tense moment after a game against Oklahoma State and some comments she made as Hunter was taking photos with female fans during a pre-Heisman photo shoot .
On a Twitch stream after the ceremony, Hunter revealed that Lenee had cried herself to sleep as she continued to be pelted with criticism.
‘She’s still sleeping, she’s slumped,’ the Heisman winner shared on a Twitch stream.
‘You know when you’re hurt but you just cry yourself to sleep and you just be gone? She drunk [sic], like, an OD amount tonight for no reason.’
Hunter told people to stop targeting her, specifically calling out ‘clickbait’ pages, social media accounts, and websites.
‘Clickbait pages stop, y’all better stop I’m telling y’all. Something bad is gonna happen to y’all [if you] keep doing that. Y’all better stop that. I ain’t playing,’ he said.
‘Y’all hate on me then you go hate on my girl,’ the two-way star continued. ‘I feel the same thing that she feels. We’re inseparable. We’re with each other. If she’s hurting, I’m hurting.’
