The Day Dennis Rodman Married Himself: More Than Just a 90s Publicity Stunt

In 1996, at the peak of his fame, NBA star Dennis Rodman shocked the world by arriving at his book signing in a horse-drawn carriage wearing a full wedding gown. Promoting his autobiography "Bad as I Wanna Be," he claimed to be bisexual and announced he was marrying his true love: himself.

The mid-1990s were the era of the Chicago Bulls dynasty, a time dominated by the soaring grace of Michael Jordan and the quiet efficiency of Scottie Pippen. And then there was Dennis Rodman. While his rebounding prowess was legendary, it was his off-court persona—a kaleidoscope of dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings—that made him a cultural phenomenon. In 1996, he orchestrated a media event so audacious it remains a masterclass in self-promotion and a strange precursor to today's conversations about identity.

The Ceremony on Fifth Avenue

To launch his autobiography, "Bad as I Wanna Be," Rodman didn't just show up for a standard book signing. He staged a wedding. On August 22, 1996, he arrived at a Barnes & Noble on New York's Fifth Avenue in a horse-drawn carriage, emerging in a custom-made white satin wedding gown, complete with a blonde wig, makeup, and elbow-length gloves. As a throng of media and bewildered onlookers gathered, he announced he was marrying the one person he truly loved and understood: himself. During the event, he told reporters his nuptials were a celebration of self-acceptance.

I'm a feisty person that's very emotional, and this is another way of expressing myself, by getting married to myself.

He declared he was bisexual, a statement that sent shockwaves through the hyper-masculine world of professional sports. The entire spectacle was pure Rodman: a chaotic, brilliant fusion of marketing and personal expression that left everyone talking.

Bad as He Wanna Be

The stunt was perfectly aligned with the themes of his book. "Bad as I Wanna Be" was a raw, unfiltered look into his tumultuous life, from a difficult childhood to his complex relationships, including a high-profile affair with Madonna. The book detailed his feelings of being an outcast and his struggle to find acceptance. By literally marrying himself, Rodman was performing the book's core thesis live on the streets of New York. It was a declaration that he was done seeking validation from others and would instead embrace every controversial, complicated part of his own identity. The stunt worked; the book shot to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list and remained there for 20 weeks.

A Spectacle Ahead of its Time

Viewed through a modern lens, Rodman's wedding feels less like a bizarre one-off and more like a harbinger of cultural shifts to come. In the 90s, gender-bending by a male athlete was virtually unheard of and widely treated as a freak show. Today, artists like Harry Styles and Billy Porter regularly challenge traditional gender norms on red carpets, and the concept of "sologamy," or marrying oneself, has emerged as a legitimate, if niche, practice of self-love and empowerment. While Rodman’s primary motivation was undoubtedly to sell books, his methods tapped into ideas that were decades ahead of the mainstream. He blurred the lines between performance art, personal branding, and genuine self-expression in a way that few public figures had dared to before. It was a moment that cemented his legacy not just as a Hall of Fame athlete, but as one of pop culture's most fearless and unforgettable provocateurs.

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