Ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman gets probation, must pay US$500K in child support case

ORANGE, Calif. – Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has been found in contempt of court and ordered to pay US$500,000 in back child support to his ex-wife, her attorney said Thursday.

The flamboyant basketball player known for his off-court antics was also sentenced to informal probation, his ex-wife’s lawyer, Mary Ann Noiroux, told City News Service. Orange County Superior Court Commissioner Barry Michaelson warned Rodman could face jail time if he doesn’t pay the child support, she said.

Rodman’s lawyer, Linnea Willis, didn’t return an email from The Associated Press and a phone number did not take messages.

Rodman and his ex-wife, Michelle, must still work out custody and visitation for their two pre-teen children: a son and a daughter.

A trial is set for Jan. 24 on those issues, but the two hope to work out an agreement before the court date, Noiroux said.

Rodman, recognizable by his facial piercings and his hair that’s died in brilliant colours, was ordered to perform 104 hours of community service in May after being found guilty of four counts of contempt for failure to pay child support for 2009 and 2010. He is completing that work in Florida, where he lives.

The legal battle between Rodman and his former spouse began in 2004, when Michelle Rodman filed for divorce.

Rodman was a bad-boy star of the Detroit Pistons and won three NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. He was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame last year.

The eccentric athlete who once dated Madonna and was briefly married to Carmen Electra lived in California’s Orange County before moving to Florida.

He frequently attracted the attention of police with loud parties at his Newport Beach residence.