Portland Trail Blazers franchise cornerstone Damian Lillard has somehow found himself at the center of a viral social media rumor, as reports allegedly claim that he is dating the ex-girlfriend of his former teammate and close friend Gary Payton II.
The rumors came from Instagram gossip page Wax Unfiltered, which claimed that Lillard is allegedly in a relationship with Jenny Childs, who previously dated Payton II.
According to the report, Childs has been living with Damian Lillard for some time, and apparently the nine-time NBA All-Star closed one of his restaurants so she could celebrate her birthday there. The report also claims that Childs is Gary Payton II’s mother-in-law’s sister, which makes this alleged relationship even more complicated.
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The account also says that Lillard and Payton were once close friends and apparently even shared the same agent before Payton and Childs ended their relationship.
But it is important to note that none of these claims have been independently verified, and neither Lillard, Payton II nor Childs has addressed or publicly confirmed this rumored relationship.
Still, this is a viral rumor that spread across social media, mainly because of the close bond Lillard and Payton II shared. The two guards were teammates during the 2022-23 season with the Portland Trail Blazers, which happened to be Lillard’s last year with the team before he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Even though Payton spent just one season in Portland before returning to the Golden State Warriors, the two were apparently viewed as close friends during their time together. This rumor also comes after a few rough years in Damian Lillard’s personal life.
For more than a decade, Lillard was in a relationship with his college sweetheart, Kayla Hanson, whom he met while attending Weber State University. Hanson remained by Lillard’s side from his rise as a mid-major college star to one of the NBA’s best guards.
After spending nearly 10 years together, Lillard proposed to Hanson in 2020, and the couple married in a ceremony in California in September 2021. They also have three children together. Their eldest son, Damian Lillard Jr., was born in 2018, and the couple also welcomed twins, Kalii Laheem and Kali Emma Lee, in January 2021.
But shortly after being traded from the Blazers to the Bucks in 2023, Lillard filed for divorce from Hanson, citing irreconcilable differences. The separation also marked one of the most difficult periods of his life, as he dealt with a major cross-country move to a new team while also going through significant changes in his personal life.
Since then, Lillard has kept his private life largely out of the public eye. That is why these latest rumors have generated so much discussion online.
At this stage, there has been no public confirmation or evidence that these two are dating, beyond the usual anonymous claims which have gone viral on social media. Until one of the parties involved addresses the speculation or photos of them together emerge, this story will remain exactly what it is right now: a rumor.
Given Lillard’s history of keeping his personal life largely private, it remains to be seen whether he chooses to respond to this rumor. For now, the reports have generated plenty of discussion online, but there is no official confirmation that this alleged relationship is real.
