Former NBA star Matt Barnes took to social media to disclaim rumors that a man-made intelligence (AI) mannequin had scammed him out of $61,000 on a relationship app.
Per PEOPLE, Barnes, 45, addressed the rumors in a video he posted on his Instagram account on Monday, December 8.
Within the video, the NBA champion begins by saying that he “hit all-time low” not too way back and skilled “numerous negatives, [and] numerous positives from 2025.” Regardless of experiencing many negatives, Barnes said that he was by no means scammed out of $61,000 by an AI mannequin.
Barnes mentioned that the rumors about him included “me being homosexual” and him “suing [an] AI mannequin, or I bought performed by [an] AI mannequin.”
“And all these little backside of the barrel-a– blogs choose it up. Shout out to those which might be actual and know the bulls— or at the least verify,” the previous Los Angeles Lakers star mentioned. “A few of you backside of the barrel a– motherf—— hold working the identical rubbish, however you guys consider that I bought performed by [an] AI mannequin and I’m suing ‘em?”
“The place the f— did you guys get this from? For actual. Significantly,” Barnes, who at present co-hosts the All of the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson podcast, additionally mentioned.
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Barnes, within the video, additionally made point out of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, as he hopped on his podcast to debate the rumor, PEOPLE reported. Barnes and Arenas, 43, seem to have a detailed relationship, as they have been teammates on the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Barnes and Arenas have additionally been on the identical podcasts earlier than. Apart from that, Barnes and Arenas’ youngsters are first cousins, as their former companions, Gloria Govan and Laura Govan, are sisters.
“And I had a dialog with Gilbert,” Barnes mentioned. “He addressed the bulls— and from there it caught hearth.”
“I informed him, ‘Bro, in spite of everything we been via, bro, like, faucet in with me and see if it’s actual,’” he added. “He mentioned he apologized, he didn’t understand it was that deep, however somebody I’m shut with addresses the lie and it catches hearth.”
Barnes additional said that “y’all can’t consider every part you motherf—— hear.” He continued: “Like I mentioned, I been coping with some actual s— whereas y’all been mendacity, however anyway, you already know what they are saying. When the hate don’t work, they gotta begin mendacity. However y’all motherf—— don’t need to consider ‘em. Belief me, you don’t.”
Barnes concluded his video by saying, “Keep blessed 2026, we coming.”
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