- - Matt Barnes Shuts Down ‘Internet Lie’ That He Was Extorted $61,000 by an AI Model on Dating App

Angel SaundersDecember 9, 2025 at 7:40 PM

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Matt Barnes -

Matt Barnes denies being swindled out of thousands by an AI model on a dating site

The former NBA player called out fans, friends and blogs who spread the rumor

“When the hate don’t work, they gotta start lying. But y’all motherf------ don’t have to believe ‘em,” he said

Matt Barnes has had enough with unfounded rumors.

In a video posted to his Instagram account on Monday, Dec. 8, the former NBA player, 45, denied that he was scammed out of thousands of dollars by an AI (artificial intelligence) model on a dating app.

He prefaced the clip by saying he recently “hit rock bottom” and had both “a lot of negatives, [and] a lot of positives from 2025,” but apparently, paying a woman who never existed $61,000 was not one of his low points.

Matt Barnes/Instagram

Matt Barnes

For Barnes, the rumors ranged from “me being gay” to returning from a trip to Dubai and seeing “I’m suing [an] AI model, or I got played by [an] AI model.”

“And all these little bottom of the barrel-a-- blogs pick it up. Shout out to the ones that are real and know the bulls--- or at least check,” he continued, adding, “Some of you bottom of the barrel a-- motherf------ keep running the same garbage, but you guys believe that I got played by [an] AI model and I’m suing ‘em?”

He asked, “Where the f--- did you guys get this from? For real. Seriously.”

As the video went on, Barnes paused talking to begin smoking.

“But then I guess you see, you see someone like Gilbert [Arenas],” he said of his fellow athlete, who mentioned the rumor on his podcast.

Barnes and Arenas both played for the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies, and have also appeared on podcasts together. Additionally, Barnes’ ex-wife Gloria Govan, is a sister of Arenas’ former partner, Laura Govan, making their children first cousins.

“And I had a conversation with Gilbert,” Barnes said. “He addressed the bulls--- and from there it caught fire.”

“I told him, ‘Bro, after all we been through, bro, like, tap in with me and see if it’s real,’” the former basketball player continued. “He said he apologized, he didn’t know it was that deep, but someone I’m close with addresses the lie and it catches fire.”

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Matt Barnes attends a basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Atlanta Hawks

The former pro baller, who played 14 seasons in the league, told his supporters, “Y’all can’t believe everything you motherf------ hear.”

“Like I said, I been dealing with some real s--- while y’all been lying, but anyway, you know what they say. When the hate don’t work, they gotta start lying. But y’all motherf------ don’t have to believe ‘em. Trust me, you don’t,” Barnes said.

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He ended his video with a simple request: “Stay blessed 2026, we coming.”

PEOPLE reached out to a rep for Barnes, but did not immediately receive a response.

Barnes played 14 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2017. At the end of his final season, he won an NBA Finals championship with the Warriors. He now co-hosts the podcast All the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.

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Source: “AOL Sports”