Widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive players of all time, NBA legend Dwight Howard is currently plying his trade at The Asian Tournament (TAT) for the Taiwan Mustangs. However, it’s not his sporting prowess that is keeping him in the headlines right now.
Howard is dipping his toes into something completely new as a contestant on Season 33 of ‘Dancing With The Stars.’ He’s teamed up with professional choreographer Daniella Karagach, swapping his basketball moves for ballroom steps and hoping to impress everyone with his dancing skills.
Dwight Howard Is a Single Man After Divorcing WNBA Star Wife Te’a Cooper
Dwight Howard appears to be single in 2024. He isn’t publicly dating anyone at the moment. He’s kept his romantic life extremely private after his divorce from WNBA player Te’a Cooper in 2021. His ex-wife, meanwhile, has since moved on and is currently in a relationship with NFL player Alvin Kamara. Ever since the divorce, fans often wonder about Te’a Cooper’s net worth, which is estimated to be in the region of $3 million.
After five unsuccessful relationships where he had a kid with each of them, it finally seemed like Howard had bumped into his soulmate after he got engaged with Te’a Cooper in 2019. They reportedly married in secret a year later. However, by 2021, the couple was no longer together. In a shocking turn of events, Cooper claimed on Twitter she was neither married nor engaged to Howard while he was embroiled in the allegations of sexual assault, which was ultimately dismissed in August 2024.
Dwight Howard’s notable past relationships include several high-profile women: Tiffany Render, fitness model Hope Alexa, Christine Vest, Melissa Rios (who died in 2020), reality TV star Royce Reed, adult film actress Teanna Trump, and social media personality Celina Powell.
Remarkably, the 38-year-old is a father to five children, three sons and two daughters, each from a different mother. His oldest daughter Layla (born in October 2010) is from his relationship with Tiffany Render while his youngest daughter Jayde (born on December 29, 2010) is with Canadian fitness model Hope Alexa. No, it’s not a typo. You read that right. This man actually welcomed two daughters in the same year from two different women.
Braylon (born on November 18, 2007) is Howard’s oldest child, resulting from his relationship with reality star Royce Reed. His second son Dwight III, also known as Trey (born on June 13, 2013), is from his relationship with Christine Vest while his youngest son David (born on December 15, 2013) is with Melissa Rios, who tragically passed away in 2020 following an epileptic seizure.
Here’s a brief overview of his children, listed from oldest to youngest:
- Braylon (born in November 2007) ~ Mother: Royce Reed
- Layla (born in October 2010) ~ Mother: Tiffany Render
- Jayde (born in December 2010) ~ Mother: Hope Alexa
- Dwight III/Trey (born in June 2013) ~ Mother: Christine Vest
- David (born in December 2013) ~ Mother: Melissa Rios
Howard is often the topic of discussion among the public because of the multiple relationships that ended with offspring. Since he married none of the mothers, the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ alum can’t help but draw attention due to the sheer number of children he shares with different partners as well as the fame of some of his ex-girlfriends.
The Drama Behind Dwight Howard’s Five Children: Custody Disputes, Legal Challenges, and Family Strife
Braylon Howard, Dwight’s oldest child was born in 2007, amid a chaotic relationship with a former Orlando Magic Cheerleader and ‘Basketball Wives’ star Royce Reed. Things ended anything but smoothly for the pair as they wrestled for years over the custody of their son. This, unsurprisingly, deteriorated the relationship between father and son.
Braylon vented out his frustration on Instagram and called out Dwight for being absent from his life. His dad was understandably hurt and later defended himself in an interview. Braylon’s dysfunctional relationship with his parents might be one of the reasons he went down a dark path as their underage son ended up being accused of inappropriate behavior with a minor.
After a repeat incident, his mother, who had his primary custody, was charged with a child neglect felony but avoided prison time by completing community service. Braylon stayed out of the public eye in the following years.
Earlier, Dwight had launched and won a defamation lawsuit against Royce Reed in 2010. Apparently, she wasn’t supposed to talk about him publicly, but she did anyway despite the court order. Howard originally asked for nearly half a billion dollars because their paternity agreement specified a $500 fine every time she mentioned him. Maybe Royce did not take this seriously, because she couldn’t stop talking about him, spilling details on Twitter and Basketball Wives, turning the whole thing into a massive legal mess.
The drama did not stop there. Fast forward to October 2014, and Royce accused Howard of abusing their 6-year-old son, which led to an investigation in Georgia. Howard admitted he did hit Braylon with a belt but claimed he didn’t realize it was wrong since he was raised by his father in the same manner. He wasn’t charged, but the two were still battling it out in a civil case over their son’s custody.
While details of the custody arrangement have been relatively private, Royce Reed has primary physical custody of Braylon, and Dwight Howard has visitation rights.
Moving on, Layla Howard, the oldest daughter & the second eldest child, born in 2010, was also at the center of the custody battle between her parents. Initially, the NFL star only managed to receive secondary custody and was ordered to pay $3,000 in monthly child support to her mother Tiffany Render. However, he later initiated legal proceedings to gain primary custody of his daughter in November 2023.
Dwight argued that his ex-girlfriend wasn’t fit to be a mother, citing the unpleasant environment she was raising her. He also accused Tiffany of relocating to a new place without informing him. Render denied those claims, but the judge still ruled in favor of the football player.
As far as his other three kids are concerned, there are not many details publicly available. Jayde, his third child and the youngest daughter, is occasionally seen in pictures with her father Dwight Howard, but not much else is known except she was born the same year as Layla, only a couple of months apart. Her mother Hope Alexa is a fitness model from Vancouver, Canada.
Similarly, information about his fourth child and second son, Dwight III, affectionately called Trey, is extremely rare. All we know is Howard is fully present in the lives of all of his kids in recent years. Perhaps one of the reasons for his growth as a caring parent is the tragic death of his fifth baby mama Melissa Rios, the mother of his third son and youngest child, David Howard, who was born in 2013, the same year as Trey.
Melissa passed away due to an epileptic seizure in 2020, and the death hit Howard quite hard. Speaking to Fox16, he said:
It’s been one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to deal with. It’s really hard, especially during this time. There’s nowhere to go. Usually if things are happening, we have basketball or something to keep our minds going. But a situation like this, it’s a situation that I’ll have to deal with forever because of our child.
Right now, Dwight Howard remains single without a girlfriend or a wife. While there’s every chance he might be dating in secret, it remains unlikely that he would get married anytime soon. The new dancing star seems content with five loving children in his life.
