Houston Rockets power forward Tari Eason is reportedly seeking protection from the state of California after filing claims of retaliation from his ex-girlfriend following an argument. Eason says the incident involved nearly $100,000 in property damage to his belongings. According to the model, Marilyn Maritza Melo Rodriguez, 32, returned to Eason’s rental home and reportedly poured liquid bleach over his possessions, including $92,000 worth of designer clothing. The alleged situation escalated, as Eason claims one of Rodriguez’s friends called him and said she would 'break both of my legs and kill me.' He says these threats left him fearing for his safety.
Eason is now asking a court to issue a restraining order to prevent Rodriguez from coming near him, his home, his workplace, his car, and any arena where the Rockets might play in California. He also reported that during a ride home, Rodriguez allegedly punched him in the face. Afterward, he claims she returned to his rental and continued damaging his property. This legal action highlights Eason’s attempt to create a clear boundary between himself and his ex-partner, both in his personal and professional life.
Tari Eason, a key figure for the Rockets, signed a five-year, $81.45 million contract extension with the team on July 9, which includes a player option for the 2030-31 season worth $18.55 million. This move is expected to push his career earnings past $98 million. Over the last two seasons, Eason has been a standout bench player, averaging double-digit points in both years. In 2023, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team, averaging 9.3 points and 6.0 rebounds while playing in all 82 regular-season games. However, his 2023-24 season was cut short at 22 games due to a lower-leg stress contusion that required surgery.
Eason's professional trajectory has been marked by strong performances in college as well. At the University of Cincinnati, he earned All-AAC honors as a freshman, and later at LSU, where he was named SEC Sixth Man of the Year as a sophomore. He also received All-SEC recognition, averaging 16.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game.
Marilyn Melo Rodriguez is a well-known fashion influencer and model with a large online presence, particularly on Instagram, where she has 7715,000 followers. Rodriguez is associated with the prestigious Wilhelmina Modeling Agency out of Miami and recently shared photos from a Rockets preseason game in October. In contrast, Eason has a much smaller social media footprint, with just 87,500 Instagram followers. His last post was on July 9, the day he signed his contract extension, which included only two shrugging emojis and a set of photos. Commenter Temidrey responded to the situation on X, saying, 'Bleach and $92K in designer clothes = the most expensive breakup receipt I've ever seen.'