Everything We Learned About Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman’s Unconventional Relationship Thanks to ‘The Last Dance’

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Everything We Learned About Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman’s Unconventional Relationship Thanks to ‘The Last Dance’

The Last Dance might be primarily about Michael Jordan and basketball, but the ESPN docuseries has given viewers a lot of insight into Dennis Rodman — and his relationship with Carmen Electra. Rodman, now 58, and Electra, now 48, first got together in the late ‘90s when he was on the Chicago Bulls. After several months of dating — and partying — the twosome eloped during a night out in Las Vegas in November 1998, not long after Electra’s mother died of a fatal brain tumor. “I was just going through the motions. I was completely numb. At the time, I was dating Dennis Rodman,” the actress later recalled to Glamour magazine. “He was such a fun person to be around, and we went out every night. I remember thinking, this is my out. I'm just going to have fun, and I'm not going to worry about anything. Right after my mom and sister died, I flew to Las Vegas and Dennis and I got married. I guess I was trying to cling to whatever I had. I'd lost my mom and my sister; I didn't want to lose anyone else.” Rodman and Electra’s marriage was over less than a year after their surprise nuptials. “We were married for about five months,” she told the magazine. “When I started going through some really hard times with Dennis, I became addicted to feeling that pain instead of dealing with my feelings about my mom and sister.” Electra also reflected on their romance during a 2014 interview, calling their marriage “the worst.” [jwplayer ecZfdfFS-l3ahXupL] “Our relationship was very passionate. When it was good, it was amazing,” she said. “And when it was bad, it was the worst. … [The marriage] happened so fast. It was so spontaneous, and I remember right after, ‘Oh god, what did we do?'” While Rodman and Electra’s split certainly made headlines at the time, fans learned more about the athlete on and off the court in The Last Dance, which premiered on ESPN on April 19. The Baywatch alum has subsequently done interviews about their romance as the 10-episode series airs two episodes every Sunday evening. “We had a blast, and this wild love, but we had a lot of hard times, too. A lot of struggles,” Electra told the Associated Press, noting that watching the doc has helped her appreciate their relationship. “No matter what, I'll always wish him the best." Scroll through for the new insight into Rodman and Electra:

Credit: Shutterstock (2)

Everything We Learned About Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman’s Unconventional Relationship Thanks to ‘The Last Dance’

The Last Dance might be primarily about Michael Jordan and basketball, but the ESPN docuseries has given viewers a lot of insight into Dennis Rodman — and his relationship with Carmen Electra. Rodman, now 58, and Electra, now 48, first got together in the late ‘90s when he was on the Chicago Bulls. After several months of dating — and partying — the twosome eloped during a night out in Las Vegas in November 1998, not long after Electra’s mother died of a fatal brain tumor. “I was just going through the motions. I was completely numb. At the time, I was dating Dennis Rodman,” the actress later recalled to Glamour magazine. “He was such a fun person to be around, and we went out every night. I remember thinking, this is my out. I'm just going to have fun, and I'm not going to worry about anything. Right after my mom and sister died, I flew to Las Vegas and Dennis and I got married. I guess I was trying to cling to whatever I had. I'd lost my mom and my sister; I didn't want to lose anyone else.” Rodman and Electra’s marriage was over less than a year after their surprise nuptials. “We were married for about five months,” she told the magazine. “When I started going through some really hard times with Dennis, I became addicted to feeling that pain instead of dealing with my feelings about my mom and sister.” Electra also reflected on their romance during a 2014 interview, calling their marriage “the worst.” [jwplayer ecZfdfFS-l3ahXupL] “Our relationship was very passionate. When it was good, it was amazing,” she said. “And when it was bad, it was the worst. … [The marriage] happened so fast. It was so spontaneous, and I remember right after, ‘Oh god, what did we do?'” While Rodman and Electra’s split certainly made headlines at the time, fans learned more about the athlete on and off the court in The Last Dance, which premiered on ESPN on April 19. The Baywatch alum has subsequently done interviews about their romance as the 10-episode series airs two episodes every Sunday evening. “We had a blast, and this wild love, but we had a lot of hard times, too. A lot of struggles,” Electra told the Associated Press, noting that watching the doc has helped her appreciate their relationship. “No matter what, I'll always wish him the best." Scroll through for the new insight into Rodman and Electra:

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How It Started

"We exchanged numbers and he would call and call and call," Electra explained. "I wouldn't respond. Finally, one day I picked up the phone and he invited me to come hang out with him and I went for it. I went in."

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Bad Boys

"Dennis was considered the bad boy of basketball," Electra quipped on The Last Dance. “And I like bad boys."

The then-couple was even arrested together in the '90s following a domestic dispute.

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The Vegas Trips

The Last Dance explored Rodman’s infamous 48-hour “vacation” to Las Vegas during the 1997-98 NBA season. ”One thing about Dennis — he had to escape," the model recalled. "He liked to go out. He liked to go to clubs. We'd go to his favorite restaurant, then we'd go to a night club, then we'd go to after hours — it didn't stop. … It was definitely an occupational hazard to be Dennis' girlfriend."

She added: “I almost think of him as not human. I would have the worst, worst headaches in the morning and he would go to practice. A couple of times he may have been a little late.”

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Back on Track

According to Electra, Jordan had to drag Rodman back to practice after his “vacation.”

"There's a knock on the door — it's Michael Jordan," she recalled in the doc. ”And — I hid. I didn't want to see him like that. So I'm just like, hiding behind the couch, with covers over me."

When Jordan told the story, he didn’t name Electra. “We had to go get his ass out of bed. I am not going to say what was in his bed or where he was,” the NBA legend quipped in the doc.

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Behind the Scenes

Electra told The Associated Press that Rodman was a “humble” guy despite his success.

“He threw a mattress in front of the couch in the living room. That’s where he always slept. That’s where I slept as well,” she explained, noting he was quiet guy who “loved to have a cheeseburger and a shake” before games and often called her “momma.”

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Their Sex Life

“One day when the [Chicago] Bulls had an off day from practicing, Dennis said he had a surprise for me,” Electra told the Los Angeles Times. “He blindfolds me and we get on his motorcycle. When he finally takes my blindfold off, we’re standing at the Bulls practice facility, center court. It was crazy, like two kids in a candy store. We were eating Popsicles from the fridge and pretty much having sex all over the damn place — in the physical therapy room, in the weight room. Obviously on the court. … To be honest, I don’t think he’s ever worked out so hard in his life.”

Electra added that she has “no regrets” about their romance.

“I saw all these different sides of Dennis,” she explained. “He would always say, ‘No one understands me. No one gets me.’ He was very emotional at times. Then there was the sweet romantic side and the fun, eccentric guy who loved to go out and drink and wear feathered boas. But on the court, he was a savage.”