NBA star Michael Porter Jr. faces scrutiny after admitting rent-splitting with ex-girlfriend despite near-$200 million contract
Porter Jr. says he pays half the rent month-to-month to help an ex-girlfriend, a revelation that has sparked debate over wealth, relationships and financial expectations for top athletes.
Michael Porter Jr. said he continues to split rent with his ex-girlfriend, despite signing a contract that could total about $207 million with the Denver Nuggets in 2021. The forward signed a $179.3 million deal in 2021, with a potential super-max worth $207 million, before leaving to join the Brooklyn Nets in July 2025. The revelation came during a recent podcast appearance and drew immediate attention as the Nets guard described the arrangement in detail.
On a recent podcast appearance with host Laboy, the discussion turned to the rent arrangement. Laboy asked Porter, 'I know you're not worth $200 million and were splitting rent with your ex-girlfriend.' MPJ replied, 'You're saying that I should have paid for the whole thing?' Laboy then blurted out, 'Absolutely.'
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Porter explained the setup: 'What can you afford and I'll split it with you?' The ex-girlfriend looked at apartments she couldn't afford, and Porter said, 'Look, this is really nice and I want you to be able to stay here. What can you afford and I'll split it with you?' He added, 'whatever happens in this relationship for the next year, I'm committed to paying this rent. Because, I don't know if this is going to be my wife or if it's not! ' So I'm like, even if we break up, I got you for the next year. So then, we end up breaking up, five or six months into the rent. Basically, that's where I'm at now. Do I keep helping her out or is it cooked?'
Laboy pressed for details about the current relationship status; Porter said they are amicable and he has no issue paying the rest of the rent. The host asked about sending the half for the rest of the year, and Porter responded: 'Why don't you just send the half for the rest of the year? Because she needs to act right month-to-month. If you're out here wylin, get that next dude to pay the rent,' Porter Jr said before bursting out into laughter. MPJ added that he only sends the money month-to-month to ensure that she 'acts right'. The exchange underscored the public interest in how high-profile athletes manage personal finances and relationships.
Porter has previously sparked headlines after remarks on another podcast, in which he said he would rather have a domestic wife that brings 'something to the table.' 'I don't mind providing for you, I don't mind doing that,' he said. 'You can stay at the crib, you can do your thing. You gotta bring something to the table. Positivity, you gotta help me mentally, you gotta be able to cook or something,' he continued. 'You gotta bring something to the table... look, what value are you bringing to my life? That's the way I look at it now.' He also added: 'In a wifey, I don't mind if she's a stay-at-home mom.' 'My mom was a stay-at-home mom but she raised all eight of us kids, she homeschooled us, she cooked for us when my dad was out working, she raised us.' These remarks, aired as Porter contends with a high-earning basketball career, drew immediate reactions from fans and commentators alike, amplifying scrutiny of the line between wealth and personal decisions.
Reaction to the disclosures has been swift, with observers noting the disconnect some fans perceive between a multimillion-dollar contract and ongoing personal-finance choices. The Nets and Porter Jr. have not issued separate statements addressing the broader implications of the remarks, but the interview added a new layer to the public conversation about how athletes manage relationships and money.
The episode comes as Porter Jr. transitioned to the Brooklyn Nets in July 2025 after leaving the Nuggets, a move that placed him in a new market and under fresh scrutiny of both his on-court play and off-court life. The disclosures, drawn from the interview and its surrounding coverage, illustrate how fans and commentators connect a player's contract status to expectations about personal fiscal responsibility and relationship decisions, a discussion that extends beyond sports fans to advertisers, sponsors and the media.