Scottie Pippen's ex Larsa shares shocking reason for dating NBA player

Jennifer Torres

Scottie Pippen's ex Larsa shares shocking reason for dating NBA player image

Malik Beasley 051525

Back in November 2020, Larsa Pippen, the former wife of legendary NBA star Scottie Pippen, sparked headlines when she was spotted hand-in-hand with Detroit Pistons shooting guard, Malik Beasley. 

The only issue? Beasley, 28, (who was 24 at the time) was very much married, having tied the knot with former beauty queen Montana Yao just seven months earlier in March, and according tonTMZ Sports, Yao was completely “blindsided” by the affair.

The relationship reportedly lasted four months and drew heavy backlash online, but Beasley and Yao appeared to reconcile after he issued a very public apology. Still, the reunion didn’t last long. According to the New York Post, Beasley filed for divorce in March 2024 — around the same time he was rumored to be dating model and gamer Natalia Garibotto.

Now, Larsa, 50, is offering a surprising explanation for her side of the story. During a recent appearance on "The Jason Lee Show," the “Real Housewives” star admitted that her involvement with Beasley was a “mistake” caused by the pandemic.

"I had Covid brain," she said. "I just had Covid. I was stuck in my house; I hadn't gone anywhere. He was there. He was like, on me ... like, 'let me come see you' ... and I thought ok, come see me.”

When Lee began to discuss the “problem people have” with her, Larsa interjected.

“Guys like me, I’m fun, good energy, I don’t need s*** from anybody, I think that’s appealing to a lot of guys … I never have a shortage of guys,” she said — later adding— “Who am I supposed to date, the landscaper?”

Jennifer Torres

Jennifer Torres is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. She has covered sports, breaking news, crime and entertainment for more than a decade with work that has appeared in a variety of outlets, including USA Today, the Tampa Bay Times, AL.com, Runway Magazine, Heavy and Distractify. Based in Florida, Jennifer holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Central Florida.