Dennis Rodman, the wild-haired NBA legend known as “The Worm,” had fans in a frenzy Tuesday, April 1, 2025, when fake news of his death blew up online. By Wednesday, April 2, the dust is settling—Rodman’s alive, kicking, and calling out the hoax that turned April Fools’ Day into a rollercoaster for his loyal followers. It’s a story of pranks gone wrong, quick relief, and a reminder of how much the 63-year-old still means to basketball lovers everywhere.
The mess started Tuesday morning when a Facebook page called Memerunnergpt—an AI meme account—posted a fake report claiming Rodman was “found in his apartment” dead from an “autoerotic asphyxiation accident.” It spread like wildfire across X and Instagram. “Rest easy Dennis, heaven has another angel,” the post read, sounding real enough to fool some. Fans freaked out—searches for “Dennis Rodman dead” spiked on Google, making him a top trending term. “I was about to cry,” one fan wrote on X, while another posted, “We’re losing legends left and right—this scared me bad.”
Rodman didn’t let it ride long. He jumped on Facebook with a photo of himself—tattoos, shades, and all—captioning it, “Yesss Sirr Alive and Well.” He added a personal twist: “I always had one wish and it was I wish my kids would call me and come see me… I’m still here Dennis RODMAN- Dad.” It was classic Rodman—bold, emotional, and straight to the point. Fans flooded the comments with relief. “I swear I ran here to check,” one wrote. “Thank God you’re okay, Dennis,” another said. A third gushed, “I LOVE YOU DENNIS!!!,” showing the love he’s still got decades after retiring.
The prank wasn’t funny to everyone. April Fools’ Day or not, some called it “insensitive” and “out of line.” “Death’s not a joke even today,” an X user snapped. Another fumed, “I’m staying off FB—I really thought Dennis went to glory, people are sick.” The backlash hit Memerunnergpt hard—comments on the original post turned sour, with fans saying it “almost ruined my day.” Rodman’s history—five NBA titles with the Pistons and Bulls, a Hall of Fame nod in 2011, plus health scares like a 2021 COVID scare—made the hoax hit too close to home for some.
Born May 13, 1961, in Trenton, New Jersey, Rodman’s a basketball icon—seven straight rebounding titles from 1992 to 1998, a Bulls three-peat with Michael Jordan, and a wild off-court life that kept him in the spotlight. He quit the NBA in 2000 after stints with the Lakers and Mavericks, then bounced through wrestling, reality TV, and even North Korea visits with Kim Jong Un. Lately, his daughter Trinity Rodman—a soccer star with the Washington Spirit—has aired out their rocky bond, calling him absent on a December 2024 podcast. His post seemed to nod at that, a quiet plea to his kids amid the chaos.
The story flipped from panic to party. EssentiallySports reported fans “rejoicing” at Rodman’s clapback, with one saying, “That post shook me—glad he’s still The Worm.” How fast he debunked it—within hours, not days—proving he’s still got that quick rebound instinct. fans were “calmed down” but still mad at the “misleading news,” while X posts cheered Rodman “addressing the outrage.” Others called it an “epic April Fools’ shutdown.”
It’s not Rodman’s first rumor rodeo—health scares and money woes have sparked chatter before—but this one stung because it felt real. With no official word from his team beyond the post, the focus is on his fans’ love—rock solid after all these years. He’s down to a $500,000 net worth in 2025, per The Economic Times, but his legacy? Priceless. This April Fools’ scare proved it—Rodman’s still a legend worth checking on, alive and well at 63.