Not every story from the NBA era gets told the way it deserves. When people think of Dennis Rodman — the five-time champion, the wild hair, the tattoos — they rarely stop to ask about the woman who was there first.
Annie Bakes was that woman. She loved him before the fame, stood by him through his lowest moments, and then raised their daughter largely alone after it all fell apart. Her story is raw, real, and worth knowing in full.
Anicka Bakes Profile Summary
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Anicka Bakes (Annie Bakes) |
| Date of Birth | February 26, 1965 |
| Place of Birth | Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Profession | Former Model, Author |
| Relationship | Ex-wife of Dennis Rodman |
| Marriage Year | 1992 (some sources say 1991) |
| Divorce Year | 1993 |
| Children | Alexis Caitlyn Rodman (born 1988) |
| Books | Worse Than He Says He Is / White Girls Don’t Bounce |
| Estimated Net Worth | $300,000 – $1.2 million |
Early Life of Annie Bakes
Annie Bakes was born on February 26, 1965, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a quiet American city that provided a simple and grounded environment during her early years. Growing up, Annie was known to have a strong personality and a natural sense of confidence, traits that would later help her succeed in the competitive modeling industry.
Annie’s family relocated quite often during her childhood days because of her parents’ work. She used to have very few friends in her childhood because she had to relocate frequently. Another reason for her not having many friends was her rapid growth — puberty hit her at an early age.
Details about her parents, siblings, and formal education remain largely out of public view. What is clear is that she grew up with ambition, energy, and a striking appearance that others noticed long before she did.
Annie Bakes as a Young Model
When Annie was 16, a modeling agent approached her at a mall and offered her a chance to model. When she told her parents about it, they thought it was a joke. Annie started modeling in her teenage years, originally doing print commercials, but when she turned 18, she started working on lingerie and swimwear projects.
By the age of 20, Anicka Bakes was earning her living as a model in the fashion capitals of the world — Paris, Milan, Tokyo, and New York.
Her look — blonde hair, blue eyes, confident presence — fit the demand of the 1980s fashion world perfectly. She landed print ads, magazine spreads, brand campaigns, and promotional work that steadily built her name and income. For a girl from Allentown, Pennsylvania, it was everything she had dreamed of.
The Car Accident That Changed Her Career
In 1986, Annie’s career took a devastating turn when she was involved in a serious car accident that left her with noticeable scars. These injuries made agencies reluctant to hire her, and nearly overnight, her opportunities decreased dramatically. For someone who relied on appearance-based work, this event was emotionally crushing and financially destabilizing.
Unable to continue modeling at the same level, she shifted into nightlife jobs such as club hosting and service industry roles. This turning point not only changed her professional direction but also influenced her emotional vulnerability, making her more susceptible to the complicated relationship she would soon enter with Dennis Rodman.
It was a brutal blow — not just professionally, but personally. One accident erased years of work. But Annie kept moving.
Annie Meeting Dennis Rodman
In 1987, Annie Bakes met Dennis Rodman while working at a club in Sacramento, where she was doing promotional modeling. Rodman was not yet the basketball superstar he would later become, but he was already gaining attention for his talent and growing confidence on the court.
At the time, Rodman was playing for the Detroit Pistons and had yet to become the cultural phenomenon the world would come to know. Annie saw a sensitive, talented man. Their chemistry was immediate, and the relationship deepened quickly. Within a year, their lives would be permanently connected.
Becoming a Mother
Dennis and Annie welcomed their daughter Alexis Caitlyn Rodman in 1988, before officializing their union through marriage.
Becoming a mother before marriage was not the path Annie had planned, but she embraced it fully. While Dennis’s career was accelerating — winning back-to-back NBA championships with the Pistons in 1989 and 1990 — Annie was at home raising Alexis and building the domestic foundation of their family largely on her own.
She was the parent who created stability at home, kept schedules moving, and shielded her daughter from the pressures of her partner’s growing fame. Alexis was her priority from the very beginning.
A Very Short Marriage
Their marriage ended due to emotional conflict, infidelity, and lifestyle pressures linked to Rodman’s rising fame. They officially divorced after only 82 days of marriage.
In his book Bad As I Wanna Be, Rodman claimed he was “tricked into marriage” and that Bakes was after his money, saying: “There’s a woman who supposedly loves you, and then all of a sudden she turns around and tries to take every dime you’ve got.”
Annie’s version tells a very different story.
Pain Behind the Scenes
Annie claimed that Rodman cheated on her and repeatedly forced her to undergo abortions. In 1993, after finding out she had contracted an STD from him, the two had a bitter fight and Bakes filed for divorce, which was finalized later that year.
She also filed a lawsuit asking for $1 million and $7,700 a month in child support — money she needed to care for their daughter and maintain their home.
The key allegations Annie raised against Rodman during and after their marriage include:
- Repeated infidelity throughout the relationship
- Emotional and psychological abuse
- Being forced into multiple abortions
- Contracting an STD as a result of his behavior
- Financial abandonment of their daughter Alexis
Rodman also acknowledged that the heartbreak and betrayal during this period drove him to a deeply dark place — he was famously found in a parking lot with a shotgun before being talked down. The marriage, however brief, left deep wounds on both sides.
The Struggles of Raising Alexis Alone
After the divorce, Annie became a full-time single mother. She focused all her energy on raising Alexis, trying to give her daughter a normal life. But it wasn’t easy. Alexis had a hard time growing up, especially because her father was not always around. When Alexis was just 8 years old, she started showing signs of anger issues and Annie had to put her in anger management classes.
Alexis would sometimes get upset and say things like, “My daddy has girlfriends” or “My daddy doesn’t visit me.” Annie said that her daughter even hurt another girl during a basketball game. When asked why she did it, Alexis answered, “Because my dad would do it.”
Dennis Rodman once admitted that he had only spent a few total days with Alexis by the time she was 24, which highlighted the emotional distance between them. Through all of this, Annie remained steady — the one constant in her daughter’s world.
Selling Memorabilia to Pay for School
Financing her daughter’s education became a serious challenge for the former model. In 2013, Bakes was part of an episode of Pawn Stars where she hoped to earn $8,000–$10,000 from Rodman’s game-worn jerseys to help pay for Alexis’s college tuition.
The collection included a Detroit Pistons jersey with Rodman’s nickname “The Worm” along with his signature, a couple of Chicago Bulls jerseys — one signed to Alexis and another that still had sweat marks on it.
As she said on the show: “I’m selling the jerseys today because I’m paying for our daughter’s tuition.” She hoped to get $8,000 to $10,000, but the shop offered only $4,300. It wasn’t what she hoped for, but she accepted it.
It was a quiet, powerful moment. No drama, no headlines — just a mother doing what needed to be done.
Annie Bakes Becomes an Author
After getting out of her tumultuous marriage, Bakes started writing. In 1997, she released a book titled Worse Than He Says He Is: My Walk On The Wild Side With Dennis Rodman. The book received positive responses and earned 4 stars out of 5 on Goodreads. Later, she published another edition under the title White Girls Don’t Bounce.
In Worse Than He Says He Is, readers hear Anicka’s story about the young man from the ghettos of Dallas who became one of the world’s greatest professional athletes — and how, instead of living in a happy family with a loving man, she went through seven years of living hell.
The book reportedly earned a six-figure publishing deal and received significant attention because Rodman at the time was one of the most controversial athletes in the world. Annie’s writing brought her temporary public visibility but also drew mixed reactions — some supported her honesty while others questioned her motives. Regardless of the reaction, the book gave Annie something she had long needed: her voice back.
Where Is Annie Bakes Now?
Annie Bakes currently lives a private life in Citrus Heights, California. She keeps a low profile and is believed to be involved with PETA, according to her public Facebook page.
Some sources suggest she may be married to a police officer and is a doting mother. These claims remain unconfirmed, however, as Annie has never publicly addressed her personal life since the divorce.
She does not maintain an active social media presence, avoids interviews, and has made no notable public appearances in recent years. After a life spent navigating turbulence, she seems to have found exactly what she was looking for — peace.
Annie Bakes Net Worth and Life Today
As of 2026, Annie Bakes’ net worth is estimated to be between $300,000 and $1.2 million. She earned this through modeling, book sales, and selling Rodman memorabilia.
Her income sources over the years include:
- Early modeling work during the 1980s in print and swimwear campaigns
- Sales from her memoir Worse Than He Says He Is / White Girls Don’t Bounce
- The 2013 Pawn Stars memorabilia sale
- Child support and settlement from the divorce proceedings
Instead of chasing luxury or attention, Annie chose a simple lifestyle. She values peace and privacy more than fame. That, more than any dollar amount, seems to define where she is today.
Conclusion
Annie Bakes’ life is not a footnote in Dennis Rodman’s story — it is its own full chapter. She built a modeling career from nothing, survived a car accident that erased it, fell in love with a man who let her down in every way that mattered, raised their daughter through anger and absence and pain, and then wrote it all down so the world could understand. She sold jerseys to pay school fees. She chose therapy over tabloids. She chose silence over spectacle.
Today, Annie Bakes lives quietly, far from the cameras that once followed her ex-husband everywhere. And in that quiet, there is a kind of strength that no championship ring can measure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Annie Bakes?
Annie Bakes, born Anicka Bakes on February 26, 1965, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is a former American model and author best known as the first wife of NBA star Dennis Rodman.
How long were Annie Bakes and Dennis Rodman married?
Their marriage lasted only around 82 days before Annie filed for divorce, with the divorce finalized in 1993.
Why did Annie Bakes and Dennis Rodman divorce?
Annie cited irreconcilable differences, including infidelity, emotional abuse, and health-related betrayals, as the core reasons for ending the marriage.
Does Annie Bakes have children?
Yes. Annie has one daughter, Alexis Caitlyn Rodman, born in 1988, whom she raised almost entirely on her own after the divorce.
What happened to Annie Bakes’ modeling career?
A serious car accident in 1986 left her with visible scars, forcing agencies to stop hiring her and effectively ending her career in modeling.
What book did Annie Bakes write?
She wrote Worse Than He Says He Is: My Walk On The Wild Side With Dennis Rodman, also released under the title White Girls Don’t Bounce, published in 1997.
Why did Annie Bakes appear on Pawn Stars?
She appeared on the show in 2013 to sell Dennis Rodman’s game-worn jerseys, hoping to raise money for her daughter Alexis’s college tuition.
Where is Annie Bakes now?
She is believed to be living privately in Citrus Heights, California, away from public life, and may be involved with PETA based on her Facebook activity.
What is Annie Bakes’ net worth?
Her estimated net worth is between $300,000 and $1.2 million, earned through modeling, book sales, and memorabilia.
Akash is a dedicated writer from the USA, committed to sharing insightful and inspiring Bible verses. With a focus on faith, spiritual growth, and daily encouragement, he aims to provide readers with meaningful scripture reflections to strengthen their relationship with God and enrich their devotional journey.