The Rampant LeBron James Cheating Rumors, Explained

For many, LeBron James isn't just the GOAT on the court—he's the GOAT behind the scenes, too. Even though his NBA career isn't over yet, he's already racked up an unbelievable 40,000 career points, a feat unmatched in the league. Plus, he's kept his image squeaky clean, presenting himself as the ultimate family man. His only "scandals"? A receding hairline and a less-than-stellar rap game — if you can even call those scandals. Then again, he's not immune to controversies, chief of which are rumors about him being unfaithful to his wife, Savannah James.

Like the high school sweetheart success stories of Stephen and Ayesha Curry or Patrick and Brittany Mahomes, LeBron and Savannah James' romance began in their teen years. They met in 2003 when LeBron had been recruited to play basketball for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Ohio, and funnily, it was Savannah who had made the first move. They reportedly had their first date an Outback in their town, and the rest, as they say, is history. The two have been inseparable and thriving as a power couple ever since, tying the knot in 2013 and raising three kids: LeBron "Bronny" James Jr., Bryce, and Zhuri.

While many superstar athletes can't seem to stay faithful (we're not naming names here!) LeBron stands out as a loyal husband and doting dad. Or does he? According to one bold claim, he's got a reputation for being a serial cheater. Yikes!

If podcaster Sofia Franklyn is to be believed, LeBron James isn't the stand-up guy he pretends to be. The former "Call Her Daddy" host, now solo on "Sofia with An F" after a falling out with Alex Cooper, dropped some tea about the Los Angeles Lakers star. According to her, LeBron has a thing for getting women to sign NDAs to keep his, err, extracurricular activities, hush-hush.

"Leonardo Dicaprio, I know for a fact. I mean, I've never been invited but, my friends have. He goes out, and his bodyguards or whatever go up to the girls — ask them if they want to go back to his house or wherever. They sign an NDA. LeBron James, same s**t. Should I be outing all these people?" she declared on an episode of her podcast before claiming LeBron is a habitual cheater. "LeBron James has various parties, constantly where NDAs need to be signed, and women are at. You didn't know that? You didn't know LeBron's a cheetah?"

Franklyn didn't elaborate any further, but several claims on Reddit corroborated her story. "He has side pieces in every city. He's horribly cheap. Made a big deal out of giving a friend of mine a Jo Malone candle for her bday as if he'd just bought her a PJ," one user claimed, with another saying, "Everyone in LA knows LeBron cheats constantly. His wife has to know because it's so well known. Hopefully they have an agreed upon arrangement."

LeBron James hasn't bothered refuting these claims, and Savannah? Either she hasn't heard about them, or more likely, she's chosen to ignore the noise. In an interview with The Cut, the entrepreneur and mother of three made it clear she's not losing sleep over rumors about her or her marriage. "I'm not a comment reader because I feel like that is going to put you into a rabbit hole that you don't want to be in," she noted. "I don't think that there are misconceptions about me out there that I would even be inclined to address."

And besides, Savannah feels rock-solid about her marriage with LeBron. On her podcast "Everybody's Crazy," she shared how she and her husband are intentional about keeping the spark between them alive. "We've been together for 22 years, but, like, I want to feel young and fun, so I want us to date, you know?" she said, adding, "I would say, for me, the biggest thing that I felt was just a sense of security."

As for LeBron, he's never missed a chance to highlight Savannah's role in his success, saying he owes all his milestones to his wife. "We have been down since high school. ... In all actuality, Savannah was with me shooting in the gym when I [had] absolutely nothing," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "You wouldn't be talking to me right now if it weren't for her."