Fame built on desire is rarely stable. In Hip Hop and sports culture, Brittany Renner has spent the past decade making visibility both her brand and her burden. Renner has weaved through the industry as an influencer, author, and reality TV star on Basketball Wives. She moves through social media, sports, and Hip Hop commentary like a magnet, generating clicks whether people love her, loathe her, or can’t look away. From the start, she has leaned into this visibility, creating her own story through a tell-all book while letting gossip blogs fill in the rest.
Her most recent chapters have only heightened that scrutiny. A whirlwind marriage to Kevin Gates that lasted just 52 days brought religion into the spotlight, as she publicly embraced Islam. Yet, after the divorce, she shed the hijab, and reclaimed the persona that made her infamous. Then, there’s her former relationship with NBA player P. J. Washington, controversial for the age gap and the accusations that she pursued him while he was still in college. The two share a son, and their custody battles frequently spill into public view—most recently, a viral video of a tense handoff where the child cried as Renner, Washington, and her mother argued at the door.
These two high-profile relationships were only the tip of the iceberg of Renner’s dating history. She’s confirmed rumors and ignored others, and as much as people are fueled by her life choices, Renner hasn’t stopped shaking things up.
Kevin Gates: Marriage, Divorce, & Reinvention
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 02: (L-R) Kevin Gates and Brittany Renner attend the Basketball Wives LA Season 12 Premiere Tea Party at Hubble Studio on May 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for VH1)
When Renner reportedly married Kevin Gates in April 2025, it was framed as a surprise but not a shock. Both had long cultivated reputations for unfiltered honesty, had histories that blurred sexuality with viral moments, and knew how to command attention. The marriage felt like a collision of two brands as much as a union of two people.
What followed was shorter than anyone expected. Just a couple of months later, the pair reportedly divorced. That stretch of weeks, however brief, marked one of her most dramatic public pivots. She embraced Islam, appeared veiled, and spoke about a commitment to faith that, for a moment, suggested transformation.
Read More: Brittany Renner & Kevin Gates Pull Up To DDG’s Stream And Shock Fans In The Process
However, as quickly as the marriage ended, so did that chapter. Renner shed the hijab, returned to her old style of self-presentation, and reposted images that emphasized the body and persona her following had always flocked to. Her critics claimed it was proof she had only been play-acting. Renner’s defenders believe it was another example of her refusing to stay in one box, even if it meant whiplash for her audience.
P. J. Washington: Love, Controversy, & Co-Parenting Under Scrutiny
Renner’s relationship with Dallas Mavericks power forward P. J. Washington is the one that altered her public image most dramatically. From the beginning, it sparked controversy. She was in her late 20s, while Washington was still in college when rumors began circulating about their connection. Critics accused her of grooming, suggesting she targeted him before he entered the NBA. Whether or not those claims were ever fair, they stuck, and the age gap became a permanent part of the conversation.
By 2021, the couple welcomed a son. For Renner, it should have been a moment of stability and proof that the relationship was more than whispers and accusations. Instead, the breakup that followed created one of the most public co-parenting arrangements in recent celebrity culture. Washington was painted as the young athlete who had been “trapped,” Renner as the manipulative older woman who had plotted the outcome. The narratives leaned on scheming for child support while flattening the complexity of two young parents navigating a high-profile breakup.
Read More: PJ Washington Reunites With Son As Rift With Brittany Renner Continues
Other Linked & Rumored Relationships
While Kevin Gates and P. J. Washington dominate the headlines, Brittany Renner’s dating history extends with several relationships confirmed over the years. In 2016, she was linked to NBA star Ben Simmons, and by 2017, Renner’s name was tied to Lil Uzi Vert. Their relationship reportedly lasted six months. .
One of her earliest alleged high-profile connections was with Colin Kaepernick between 2013 and 2014. At the time, Kaepernick was one of the NFL’s most promising quarterbacks. However, no discussion of Brittany Renner’s relationship history is complete without the rumors of names whispered on social media, speculated in blogs, and debated without clear confirmation.
Read More: Who Is Brittany Renner?
At different points, Renner has also been linked to Drake, with reports of a short-lived fling that neither party confirmed. Similarly, she was connected to James Harden in 2018. Their alleged relationship was widely cited with inconsistent reports. Another rumor tied her to Jamal Murray, the NBA star, in 2018, as well. Again, the evidence was thin as it was more about internet speculation. Then, when she was spotted out and about with Shaquille O’Neal in 2023, the internet was once again buzzing about her personal life.
Brittany Renner’s Own Voice
What sets Brittany Renner apart from the countless women influencers and public figures is her willingness to speak for herself. In 2018, she released Judge This Cover, a book that pulled back the curtain on her experiences with men and the ways intimacy becomes a hot topic when you live in public.
In the book, Renner acknowledged the reality of moving in circles where celebrity and desire intersect. She detailed encounters, reflected on choices, and framed herself not as a victim of gossip but as someone determined to control the narrative. Critics saw it as oversharing, but her supporters pointed to the refusal to let others write her story without her input.
That voice has carried into her interviews and her social media presence. Whether discussing her co-parenting struggles, clapping back at critics, or shifting her presentation after her marriage to Kevin Gates, Renner has continued to frame herself as the author of her own public identity. The transparency has cost her privacy, but it has also kept her name central in a culture quick to dismiss women once the headlines fade.