- Rajon Rondo, the American basketball player proposed to his girlfriend, Latoia Fitzgerald on the runway of New York Fashion Week in September 2022
- The NBA star was in a long-term relationship with his college sweetheart, Ashley Bachelor leading to the birth of his two children, Ryelle Rondo, and Rajon Rondo Jr.
- Until his recent engagement, the mother of his two children filed for a temporary protection order against him after he threatened her with a gun
Away from a thriving basketball career, Rajon Rondo’s girlfriend and children, Ryelle Rondo and Rajon Rondo Jr. are another exciting part of the life of the winner of two NBA rings. His girlfriend, Latoia, and the basketball player dated for some time before deciding to seal it in marriage. As it is, this is a plan he set in motion when he proposed to her on September 8, 2022.
Moreso, Rondo’s plan to marry may not be a first for him as he was previously linked to Ashley Bachelor, the mother of his two children. Following the controversial ending of his first relationship, the news of his engagement is causing quite a stir.
Rajon Rondo is Set to Marry Long-time Girlfriend, Latoia Fitzgerald
Fans of the 39-year-old point guard were pleasantly surprised when Rondo proposed to his girlfriend, Latoia Fitzgerald( 36), a fashion designer, and entrepreneur. As it turned out, the engagement was held on the runway of New York Fashion Week in the midst of the 2022 NBA season making it another reason to watch out for the point guard, especially off the court.
Details about how the two met are not very clear, but by her Instagram uploads, she features the basketballer in many of her pictures dating back to 2020. While that may likely be when they started dating, it is possible that they knew each other even before then.
Whatever the case, his love interest, Latoia has two clothing lines, Lionne which was launched in 2019, and Dillonger, the earliest one. So far, her designs have been featured in popular fashion shows such as the New York Fashion Week.
Per her work, Fitzgerald made it spectacular in her 2022 Lionne presentation on the runway. As planned, he went down on one knee to ask her to marry him while her back was turned. Upon turning she realized what was happening and accepted.
A Close Look Into The Background of Rajon Rondo’s Girlfriend Latoia Fitzgerald
Prior to her engagement to Rondo, Latoia was a determined woman with a keen interest in the fashion industry from an early age. Latoia Fitzgerald was born on August 16, 1984, to a seamstress mother and a videographer father.
She drew inspiration from her mother, and soon enough she started her own designs when she was 10 years old. Later on, she started making clothes for high school friends which led her to enroll at the Art Institute of Philadelphia to study Fashion Design professionally.
After leaving the institution, she started LaToia Michelle with a close friend, Michelle Savage. That line may have folded as she later went into her lines as mentioned earlier.
Rondo’s Marriage Proposal With Fitzgerald Comes in the Wake of A Major Controversy
Prior to their celebrated love life, Rondo was previously linked with a different partner, Ashley Bachelor. Some sources report that Rondo got married to his first wife, Ashley in 2010 after dating for five years while some say that they were only partners.
Apparently, they met while studying at Kentucky college where he played collegiate before he was drafted as the 21st-pick by the Phoenix Suns in the NBA 2006 draft. Their relationship coincided with his career having scored big with his first all-star selection with the Boston Celtics as well as their first championship after 22 years at the time. Thus, making them another high-profile relationship.
Moving on, they had two children, Ryelle and Rajon Rondo Jr. Aside from this they had their share of troubles leading to a breakup. Moreso, they had issues that ran deeper than was publicly seen. This became public knowledge when Ashley filed for a protective order against him on May 13, 2022, after he pointed a gun at her and threatened to kill her on May 11.
Initially the order was granted as she complained that she feared for her and her children’s safety looking at his anger issues in the past. It turns out that a Jefferson court dismissed the protective order in June after Ashley and Rondo reached an agreement.
The NBA Player’s Two Children with Ashley Bachelor
As stated earlier, Rondo’s relationship though now in the past produced two children. They are;
Ryelle Rondo
The 17-year-old is the first child of the Laker’s star player. She is an active member of her High school volleyball team, the Bearcats. She was in the lineup when the team took down Whitefield academy to secure the All-A Tournament Team Title in 2022.
Aside from her interest in volleyball and being the daughter of a tough-playing point guard in a 16-season career, her relationship with Rondo draws a lot of questions. This stems from her mother’s accusation in the middle of their issues about Rondo verbally abusing his daughter, Ryelle.
Looking closely, Rondo was away on her 13th birthday and he sent her a message via facetime. Per his wishes for her, he promised not to miss any of her birthdays and he also did not mention the killing of another young woman, Breonna Taylor to save her from the trauma. Taylor happened to be killed by the police in her home in Louisville, Kentucky, the same place that Rondo is from making her death another bitter experience for the player.
Despite this seeming cordiality between father and daughter, his pointing a gun in a home she stayed with her mother is going to continue to be part of the unsaid issues in the father-daughter relationship being that she is his oldest child.
Rajon Rondo Jr.
He is the youngest child of a basketball player. So far, he may likely follow in his father’s footsteps as a basketball player. His father hinted at this during the Covid 19 quarantine while talking about the future. He revealed that his son whom he shares the same name would be joining the ‘bubble’ soon.
Meanwhile, father and son have been pictured at different basketball practices together over the years.
Rondo’s jr. basketball dream comes in the wake of his father allegedly abusing him and calling him a p**sy.
If Rondo Jr. eventually follows suit, it would be quite interesting as he tries to make a name for himself going by his father’s 16 seasons with 9 NBA teams.
See Also: Phillip Harrison: Shaquille O’Neal’s Stepfather Taught Him The Hard Way- 7 Unknown Facts
He Will Become A Stepfather To Fitzgerald’s Child After Their Marriage
Rondo’s eventual marriage to Fitzgerald will make him a stepfather to her son, Dillon whom she had from her previous marriage. Her son has shown a sign of following in his mother’s footsteps by walking the runway.
As it is, not only is he invested in the fashion industry but his mother’s line, Dillionger which was launched in 2014 is also named after him.
Aside from a successful basketball career that lasted 16 seasons so far, Rajon Ronda’s girlfriend and children are another angle to the personal life of the player following his engagement to Latoia Fitzgerald in 2022. Aside from this, the NBA point guard who has two children, Ryelle and Rajon Rondo from a previous relationship was at the height of controversy involving a gun making it one among numerous cases in America. Despite the charges being dropped, there are other basketballers that were not as lucky including; Beasley Malik, Arenas Gilbert, and Stephenson Lance among many others.
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