Who is Ben Shelton's girlfriend Trinity Rodman?
Here we take a look at his romance with Trinity Rodman, who has some serious sporting pedigree of her own — pro footballer and daughter of Chicago Bulls legend Dennis.
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Trinity Rodman is in a relationship with Ben Shelton
Credit: Instagram @benshelton
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Ben is through to round three of Wimbledon
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Trinity is one of the US' brightest female footballers
Credit: Getty
Ben Shelton is through to round three of
Next up, he faces Hungarian aggressive baseliner and hard-court specialist Marton Fucsovics on July 5, 2025.
Here we get to know Ben's better half, 2022 and 2024
Who is Trinity Rodman?
Trinity Rodman is a rising star in American professional soccer.
read more on Ben shelton
Born on May 20, 2002, in Newport Beach, California, she is the daughter of NBA star
Trinity is in a relationship with tennis American tennis sensation
Like her boyfriend, Trinity is one of the most promising young athletes in women's soccer.
In 2022, former US head coach Vlatko Adonovski told USA Today: '[Rodman] was one of the most exciting players in the league this past season, and she proved that she can be impactful at the professional level in National Women's Soccer League.
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'She is still a young player, but we do want to expose her to the environment where she can get her feet wet a little bit.
'And hopefully she can continue growing and show what she was able to do in the league she can do at the international level.
"We don't want to rush anything. We've got to be patient.'
Emma Raducanu talks about the challenge of facing Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon
Despite being given her father's fame, Trinity was primarily raised by her mum and grew up alongside her big brother
She has spoken openly about her complicated relationship with her dad, emphasising the incredible influence and support she has received from her mother.
From a very young age, Trinity showed exceptional talent and passion for football.
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Trinity and Ben are among the brightest young stars in their sports
Credit: Instagram @benshelton
She started playing at just four years old, joined the SoCal Blues youth club when she was nine — helping the team secure multiple national championships.
Her soccer career took a major leap forward when she was selected second overall in the 2021 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Draft by the Washington Spirit.
At just 18 years old, she was the youngest player ever drafted in the league at that time.
Trinity's rookie season was nothing short of spectacular — she played a crucial role in leading the Washington Spirit to the 2021 NWSL Championship.
Her outstanding performances earned her the NWSL Rookie of the Year award and a place on the NWSL Best XI team.
Beyond club success, Trinity made her debut for the US Women's National Team (USWNT), where she made an instant impact.
She was part of the USWNT squad that won the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics — scoring three goals during the tournament.
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RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Monster Hit: How the creepy-cute Labubu became a billion-dollar business
Creepy or cute? It depends who you ask. But what's undisputable is how incredibly popular the Labubu has become in recent months. Usually taking the form of a small, plush-like keyring, a Labubu can also take the shape of a larger teddy or figurine. Although they're not actually called Labubu – that's just the name of one of the characters that people can buy. Officially the range of toys is known as 'The Monsters'. And they've been around for a lot longer than you might think. They were created in 2015 by an artist called Kasing Lung, who was born in Hong Kong but raised in the Netherlands, before moving to Belgium. Initially they were little vinyl figurines – and they proved relatively popular within China. But in 2019 Lung struck a partnership with a Chinese toy company called Pop Mart, which is where things began to really take off. Because they were the company that made the plush versions of the monsters, including ones that you could clip onto your bag. These proved much more popular with Chinese consumers, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic. There is a view that they tapped into a desire among consumers for something that wasn't perfect and polished – they wanted to buy toys and teddies that looked a little offbeat like this. Some think it's also an example of the Lipstick Effect – the (contested) economic theory that when people are under financial pressure, they will opt to treat themselves to smaller luxuries rather than big ones. So they buy a nice lipstick rather than a new outfit or, in this case, a €20 to €30 accessory for their handbag, rather than a new handbag. And the result for Labubu was overlap between toys and fashion – because while they look like something for kids, they have become somewhat of a statement piece for adults too. So what's made them so popular in the rest of the world? Pop Mart has targeted growth outside of China – it wants to emulate the success of Lego in becoming a global brand. But what has helped it to achieve that is the fact that a number of big names – like Rihanna and Dua Lipa – were spotted with Labubu keyrings dangling from their bags. Others showed theirs off on social media – like David Beckham, who was given one by his daughter Harper. That exposure helped to catapult them into the consciousness of consumers in American and Europe – and make them something people here wanted too. But a huge part of their success can also be attributed to the business model Pop Mart has perfected around the marketing and sale of Labubu. There are different ranges available - called things like Have A Seat, Big Into Energy and Exciting Macaron – and each has different dolls available. But those ranges tend to be sold in what are called 'blind boxes', where the products come in a sealed box with no indication as to which one is inside They also do limited edition releases – in some ranges one out of every 100 boxes is a so-called 'chaser', which is a hard to get and sought after variety. And they do collaborations with consumer brands like Coca-Cola, and fashion brands like Uniqlo, which are also sold blind and in limited quantities. And all of that has created a virality to the toy. People post unboxing videos online, or show off a rare find on social media. There's also a feeling of collectability to them – people don't just want any doll, they want a specific one, or they want the whole set. But, because of the blind boxes and limited edition releases you need to buy a lot of them in order to complete a set (or get a rarity). And that's massively boosted sales. And it's led to some remarkable scenes… Yes - there have been cases around the world of people queuing up overnight in order to get their hands on the latest 'drop'. There have also been cases of brawls breaking out as people try to get their hands on one – Pop Mart's shops in London have had to suspend sales twice in recent months because of the chaos that was unleased by the demand for the products. And, needless to say, when you have something that's highly sought after but in short supply, it hasn't taken long for a black market to pop up around them. For example counterfeiters have moved to close the gap – which has led to what are known as 'Lafufus'; the knock off Labubus that have flooded the market. Some of them are extremely convincing copies of the original toys – to the extent that Pop Mart has started adding an invisible stamp to its official version, that can only be seen under UV light, as a way of distinguishing one from the other. Other knock-offs aren't quite as well put together – and there have been warnings about the quality and safety of some of the fakes that are being sold, because they probably haven't passed official safety checks and standards before getting to the consumer. As a result there's a risk of small parts breaking off and creating a choking hazard, for example. Another less concerning black market – or more accurately a sub-industry – that's cropped up have been accessory sellers. Platforms like Etsy and Temu are full of mock Prada outfits, face tattoos, necklaces and even Crocs for Labubu dolls, allowing people to further personalise their finds. And there's a massive secondary market too. In some cases Labubus are selling for three times their face value online, which has made them an attractive proposition for scalpers. And even some ultra-rare versions are making big money in official sales – there was a four foot tall version that sold for $150,000 at auction last month. Meanwhile the whole 'blind box' approach has led to some strange behaviour in Pop Mart's shops – with some of the more devoted collectors tending to go around shaking the boxes to try to figure out which variety is inside before they buy it. Avid collectors claim they have perfected their technique and can dramatically improve their odds of finding a rare 'chaser'. Have some taken issue with 'blind boxes'? Yes, even within China there have been questions about how ethical or otherwise blind boxes are. A report questioning their use that broadcast on Chinese state media last month led to Pop Mart's share price falling sharply. Blind boxes aren't something that started with Labubu – if you go into a toyshop you'll see a huge number of different toy lines and brands selling 'surprise' or 'mystery' products where you don't know what's inside until to buy it, take it home and take off the wrapper. That includes LOL Dolls, some of the Funko Pops, Hatchimals – but also big names like Disney, Barbie and Lego have gotten in on the practice with some product lines. And the criticism is that they're made to be addictive – and while some may be popular with adults, they are ultimately targeted at kids. Some see them almost as a form of gambling – because you're paying your money without knowing what you'll get in return – and without necessarily knowing if it's worth the spend or not. You might get something valuable or rare – or the variety that you want – or you might get something that isn't all that desired, or that you already have. And that's not to mention the cost to consumers who want to get a particular one or collect the range – they probably have to spend multiples of the face value in order to do that. And it likely leads to a lot of unwanted products and packaging, too, that may ultimately end up getting dumped. The counter argument to this is that 'blind boxes' are really just a more developed version of the lucky dip bag – which have been around for generations. Many will remember other 'surprise' products from their childhood – like Premier League stickers, Pogs and Match Attax cards. So we've always had this kind of thing. What's different now, though, is that there are so many different 'blind box' type products that consumers are being urged to collect – and they're much more expensive, too. But this has all been very good news for Pop Mart… Yes they've enjoyed incredible growth since being established in 2010 – selling various ranges of collectable dolls and toys, including Labubus. For a long time they were very much focused on the Chinese market – but in recent years have made a real effort to push their products into other markets. They now have 530 stores worldwide, and around 2,470 'robostores' – which are essentially vending machines that sell some of their products. Most of those are in China, but around 130 physical shops and 200 robostores are in other countries, including England and France. Non-China sales now account for around 40% of their revenue – and last year they doubled their total revenues to 13 billion yuan – or around €1.5 billion, their profits tripled to the equivalent of €390m. That's largely driven by Labubu – but sales of some of their other toy lines have been boosted too, which has led to its share price surging. As a result Pop Mart is now technically valued at more than the combined valuations of both Hasbro and Mattel. And of course they're looking to capitalise on the Labubu trend – with a TV show and a film already underway. That may well boost sales of the toys even further in the coming years. How has this success been received in China? There has been some criticism of Labubu in China – not just the use of blind boxes, but also suggestions that the dolls are too scary looking and shouldn't be sold to children. Overall, though, this is being seen as a massive success for China – because it's perhaps the first example of the country having a significant impact on western culture. We're used to Japanese and South Korean influences in Europe and the US – that's been happening for decades, through the likes of Nintendo, or anime and manga, Hello Kitty… all the way to cars and K-Pop. But for a long time Chinese exports to Europe and America were just the products western companies paid them to make. And if you think of the few "Chinese" cultural exports we have had here – like Chinese food, they bear very little resemblance to the actual Chinese equivalent. Most of the other things we think of when we think 'China' - like the music or imagery or typography - is probably based on some fairly iffy stereotypes that were developed by western media. But Labubus and Pop Mart are essentially a home grown Chinese phenomenon that is causing real ripples in Western culture – arguably it's the first such product to do that. And when you combine it with the success of Chinese retailers like Shein and Temu, and the growth of car brands like BYD and Polestar, it's another example of China's growing soft power and influence – and another sign that it's slowly moving away from being the world's factory to becoming a real player in our culture.
Irish Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
'If the planet is going to have billionaires, we need them to sign this pre-nup'
I'd have paid good money to be a fly on the wall at the Bezos wedding's Great Gatsby-themed bash in Venice. Not that any such lowly creature would have made it within the gilded walls of one of the most expensive and repulsive nuptials of the modern age. The billionaire groom and Amazon owner probably had every fly swatting service and insect repellent contractor in town on the payroll. Nothing that could be bought was left to chance when he wed bride Lauren Sanchez in the City of Love last week. Every desire and whim had its price. The hotel rooms went for €4,000 a night. The entire Venetian water taxi fleet, a mere €1.5 million for three days. There was two mill for private jet travel. Throw in the same again for the fees to stage a party on the half-billion euro yacht. Then raise it the same again for wedding rings to match what was already shelled out on an engagement ring. The tsunami of vulgarity even managed to put a figure on one of humanity's priceless heritage treasures - Venice itself - which was bought like a trinket as a selfie filter for the weekend. Still, it would have been worth that fly making its way to a wall draped in Renaissance masters just to let us all know, did they get it at all? The irony? Here was the fourth richest guy in the world, dropping around €40 billion for a party. And everyone was dressed as if they were in the pages of F. Scott Fitzgerald's great novel on the dark heart of the American dream. A cautionary tale of the pursuit of materialism and wealth at the cost of all else – including your morality and your soul. We know the guest list was well heeled, sprinkled with Kardashians and Trumps. But we don't know if they were that well-read. We do know at least one guest had seen the movie version of Gatsby. Leonardo di Caprio was in it. That was before he made those woke, tree-hugging flicks about saving the planet. That must have raised a giggle as the squadron of 90 private planes swarmed in, belching their fumes into the scorching skies over Europe's holiday destinations. But maybe Leo and the gang did get the irony. Maybe this court of the billionaire aristocrats is happy to party on, in the full knowledge their lust and craving for privilege at any cost to the rest of us is corrupting the soul of that same American dream that haunts Gatsby. The mathematics of even becoming a billionaire – there are now close to 4,000 in the world – can only work by excluding as many other little people as you can from that dream of a decent life. Almost four billion people in the world need to live on the same amount that this gilded 4,000 have hoarded. In 2024, the combined wealth of the billionaire class was $15 trillion. The wealth of the world's 10 richest men including Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg grew on average by almost $100 million a day that year. Meanwhile, the number of people living in poverty has barely changed since 1990, according to World Bank data. Of course Jeff Bezos, being a smart guy, isn't banking on the course of true love running straight. He ensured he signed a pre-nuptial agreement with his new bride that ensures she can't waltz away with his treasures if the spark dies. So maybe that's precisely what the little people – and the planet – should require of anyone who we tie the knot with and allow amass billion-dollar fortunes and the privilege of emitting more climate heating carbon in 90 minutes than the rest of us do in a lifetime A people's pre-nup might lay down some rules for when things turn sour. Like if our billionaire overlords ever decide they can't stand the sight of us any more, they will still agree to paying more than their fair share of tax for the help we gave them along the way. They could keep their jewels, but - fair being fair - the rest of humanity would still keep access to treasures like art and beauty and the world's great heritage cities. We owned human empathy and democracy before we met you, so we are not letting you have those in any split – Elon we're looking at you. Sovereignty and the rule of international law are not to be divided up like the good delph either. Come to that, we want custody too of rights to public treasures like education, health, welfare and a liveable climate. And, sorry if we are getting greedy here, but if it's not too much can we add ending global poverty. Don't worry we are not vindictive. We don't want you to end it 22 times which is what you could afford with your cash pile. Once will do. But if your side is feeling generous with what's left we would happily take equality, clean water, sanitation, clean energy, decent work, infrastructure, sustainable cities, responsible consumption, peace and justice – oh and cancel a few debts. Basically all the sustainability and development goals thanks. In exchange maybe you could keep in the region of €50 million each and a few yachts to make sure you don't end up in the workhouse. And unlike the last crowd of peasants that decided they had enough of the ruling aristocracy, we will also let you keep your heads.
Irish Examiner
8 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Clodagh Finn: Carmel Snow, the Irish Anna Wintour who reshaped US fashion
Carmel Snow, the influential Irish woman who transformed US fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar, was born Carmel White in Dalkey in 1887. Had she been a fan of the double-barrel name, she would have become Carmel Snow-White. I love that quirky if little-quoted fact, not least because it shows our insistence on shoehorning trailblazing women, such as Carmel and the in-the-news phenomenon that is Anna Wintour, into fairytale stereotypes. Women with power, influence and fearsome reputations are no Snow Whites, of course; they are cast as cartoonish wicked women. Or devil women. For proof, look no further than the box-office sensation, The Devil Wears Prada, the film supposedly based on Wintour. Mind you, as steely editor of Runway magazine, the wondrous Meryl Streep (Miranda Priestly), offered us a poised and immensely entertaining version of female wickedness, one which we will happily see again soon. News that a sequel has just gone into production lands hot on the heels of confirmation that Anna Wintour is stepping down from her role as editor-in-chief of Vogue. Anna Wintour who is to step aside from her role as the day-to-day editor of American Vogue, with the magazine hiring a new head of editorial content. HISTORY HUB If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading She is not stepping back, though. Make no mistake about that. Anna Wintour, the woman lauded for revitalising the celebrated magazine and chairing the annual Met Gala, will continue to work as Condé Nast's global chief content officer. There has been much coverage of the woman herself — her razor-sharp bob, her trademark sunglasses, her achievement in fashion-empire building and her icy demeanour. At least there is also some recognition that she is a real person behind the curated image. I like this description of the personal Wintour from fashion editor Jess Cartner Morley: 'In private, [she] is devoted to her family, is a tennis superfan, a passionate supporter of the arts and a witty and phenomenally well-read conversationalist.' Maybe she is glued to Wimbledon right now. One of the many things I admire about her is her sense of humour. Here's a fine example: She turned up to the London premiere of The Devil Wears Prada musical wearing Prada. And she told reporters that it was up to the public to decide if she and Miranda Priestly were 'twinsies'. Though we might not like to think so, we — the observing public — will never be able to make an informed choice about that because it is impossible to get behind the caricatural Anna of the headlines. There is, however, one undeniable fact in all of it: Anna Wintour is 75 years old and she is still at the top of her game. In all the coverage, that single figure is the one that remains after the clichés and wooden generalisations drain away. Having this elegant, high-powered executive back in the news also gives us a joyous occasion to recall the Irishwoman who was the Anna Wintour of her day. Or maybe that should be the other way around — Wintour is the Carmel Snow of her day. Happily, this Irish 'icon of impeccable style', editor of Vogue and transformer of Harper's Bazaar is now quite well-known, but that is recent. When, in the 1990s, writer and TV producer/director Anne Roper first came across a reference to her, she had been all but forgotten. American fashion journalist Carmel Snow (1887 - 1961) attends a function in London in 1956. Picture: Getty Images After reading this tantalising footnote in Truman Capote's biography — 'The remarkable Mrs Snow, Dublin-born, had transformed Harper's Bazaar from a simple fashion magazine into a haven for the new and daring, in photography and design as well as fiction' — Roper rang the magazine's New York offices to find out more. They had only vague memories. Then she came across her out-of-print memoir, The World of Carmel Snow, and began the process of writing this tenacious and supremely talented woman back into the public consciousness. Let's start with a bit of name-dropping to put her importance into context. To quote none other than Capote again: 'Diane Vreeland was her fashion editor. Alexey Brodovitch, who designed for the Ballets Russes, was her art director. There was no question, Bazaar was the magazine to work for.' Capote was a contributor along with Katherine Anne Porter, Evelyn Waugh, Frank O'Connor, Louis MacNiece and Maeve Brennan. As she put it herself, Carmel Snow was creating a magazine for 'well-dressed women with well-dressed minds'. She discovered Balenciaga, Christian Dior and Hubert de Givenchy. She gave Cartier-Bresson his first magazine assignment, and counted Coco Chanel, Colette, Salvador Dali, Liam O'Flaherty and Noel Coward as friends. Her vision was an immediate success. She took over Harper's Bazaar in 1935, tripling the circulation in jig time. It happened by accident, in a sense. Or rather due to the tragic death of her businessman father Peter White who died suddenly in Chicago in 1893 while setting up the Irish village, a showcase of Irish history, culture and industry, at the World Fair. Carmel's mother, Anne White, took over from him and did an exceptional job. A commemorative stamp of Carmel Snow. Picture: An Post The 'very capable and charming Mrs Peter White', as one newspaper described her, decided to stay in the US and open a craft shop. She later took over a dressmaking firm with a workroom of over 250 fitters and seamstresses who produced Parisian haute couture for the US market. Carmel later recalled her mother's 'momentous decision' to stay on and take over with admiration. 'Her determination had taken her a long way in that period when women, particularly Irish women, seldom ventured,' she wrote. Her mother's career brought Carmel to America and introduced her to the fashion world. She accompanied her mother on buying trips to Paris where she met Coco Chanel and witnessed the 'birth of the revolution in fashion'. She moved to the city — after a failed love affair, apparently — and worked for the Red Cross during WWI. Her big break into the fashion world came in the early 1920s when she filled in for a New York Times fashion correspondent who couldn't make one of the Paris fashion shows. Her copy was so good it led to a column in that paper and later a job as assistant fashion editor in Vogue. 'For the first day, I got myself up to kill. I wore a smart, but dead black crepe-de-chine dress and jacket from Vionnet, the exciting new Paris designer whose bias cut was so subtle I was proud of myself for recognising that here was an artist in fashion,' she wrote. Her subsequent career at Harper's has been well-covered; here was an early high-flier who did not let the birth of her children slow her down: 'I was never without a baby under the desk.' Much attention has been paid to her drinking in later life, too, and the dignity-stripping reality of that, but let us hope that serves as a reminder that people, even talented and successful ones, have feet of clay. I did not discover until this week, however, that she wrote a six-part series published by the Evening Echo in 1953. Here's a flavour of it: 'To wear the new Dior line, you cannot have a spare tire [sic]. What you need is a spare rib. You must have a concave stomach and pretty well nothing to sit on. You must be slender as a willow and as few of us are this, we must be prepared to be stern with ourselves.' Plus ça change. Although I do, naively perhaps, hold out hope for change. The collective noun for those at a publication's helm is, I read somewhere, 'a revision of editors'. How nicely put. Maybe we can now revise the caricatures we sketch for the women who sit in that hot seat.
