Dennis Rodman Accused Of Slapping Man Across The Face At Birthday Party: Report

BY Erika Marie 3.5K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Cops are investigating the alleged assault.

What's been going on with Dennis Rodman lately? Just weeks ago he was accused of robbing a Newport Beach, California yoga studio twice, and now it's being reported that he's shown a man "what the five fingers said to the face." TMZ Sports has obtained a report that states Rodman was celebrating his birthday by hosting a shindig at the Buddha Sky Bar in Florida on May 17. A man named Jeff Soulouque told the Delray Beach Police Department that he was an attendee at the event when all of a sudden Rodman "unprovokedly turned around and smacked him."

According to Soulouque, the retired NBA star immediately apologized for the hit and to make amends, invited Soulouque out to dinner the following evening. It must have been one helluva slap because later on, Soulouque was in so much pain that he visited a hospital where he was diagnosed with a left corneal abrasion. On May 18, he decided to file a police report.

Rich Polk/Getty Images

A witness to the incident named David Lee Roth—no, not the singer Van Halen but another guy with the same name—corroborated the alleged victim's story. The police report reads, "Roth stated he was about twenty feet away and he saw Rodman turn around and open hand smack Soulouque two times." Investigators are hoping that the Buddha Sky Bar has surveillance footage of the evening that shows whether or not Soulouque is being truthful. Meanwhile, Rodman's lawyer told TMZ Sports that his client is innocent.

"I’ve spoken with people who were with Dennis the entire night of the alleged incident at Buddha Sky Bar," he said. "No one saw any such incident occur and Dennis was sober the entire night. Currently the matter is in its preliminary stages but we fully expect after a thorough investigation that no such incident will be substantiated. Dennis denies any such incident occurred.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.