Rui Hachimura chooses violence on social media
The Los Angeles Lakers might be struggling to find their rhythm, but Rui Hachimura has no trouble finding his voice when it comes to his private life. The -year-old forward just went absolutely nuclear on an Instagram account that tried to link him to none other than rapper Doja Cat. While most athletes let rumors slide, Rui decided to burn the whole thing down with a comment that has the entire internet shaking. This is not the quiet, reserved Rui we are used to seeing on the court; this is a man who is clearly fed up with the gossip mill.
The drama kicked off on Wednesday, January , when an account with a shady track record posted a photo that allegedly showed Rui with his arm draped around the -year-old Paint The Town Red singer. The caption teased fans with a loaded question about whether they were the next big NBA power couple. Rui did not wait for his publicist to draft a polite statement. Instead, he jumped into the comments and delivered a brutal blow that left zero room for interpretation. The post has already racked up tens of thousands of likes, mostly from fans shocked by Ruis aggressive denial.
Insiders tell us that Rui has always been protective of his circle, and being dragged into the Doja Cat circus was the last thing he wanted. The rapper is known for her eccentric behavior and high-profile flings, and it seems Rui wanted to make it clear he is not a character in her latest drama. The suspicious photo in question is already being called out by fans as a total fake, but the damage was done. Rui had to clear the air, and he did it with a sledgehammer.
The secret romance the rumors are ruining
Why was Rui so quick to pull the trigger on Doja? It might have something to do with the woman who has reportedly been by his side for years. Rui has been linked to fitness influencer Briana Delgado since , and while they are masters of the stealth relationship, sources say they are very much still a thing. When a viral rumor starts claiming you are dating a global pop star, it tends to cause some major friction at home. Rui was likely doing some serious damage control to keep his stable home life from imploding.
Briana and Rui are notoriously private, rarely posting each other on their main feeds. They prefer to keep their business and pleasure separate, which makes them a target for bored internet sleuths. But just because they aren’t flaunting their love for the cameras doesn’t mean there is room for a third party. By shutting down the Doja rumors so violently, Rui was sending a loud message to his real lady: he only has eyes for her. But in the shark-infested waters of Los Angeles, keeping a secret romance safe is almost impossible.
Rui is not about to let some fake Instagram edit ruin what he has with Briana. He is a loyal guy, and those rumors were a total insult to his relationship. He had to kill it before it grew legs.
Doja Cat is busy having fun with someone else
While the internet was trying to force Rui into her life, Doja Cat has been busy with her own Stranger Things. The singer is widely believed to be dating actor Joseph Quinn, and the two have been spotted looking very cozy in London and beyond. Doja recently teased that she is just having fun and allowing things to happen, which is basically celeb-speak for I am dating around but do not want the labels yet. Her romantic history is a rollercoaster of comedians and rappers, and Joseph Quinn seems to be the current flavor of the month.
Doja has been vocal about her struggles with romance, citing her upbringing as a daughter of a single mother. She views love as a life lesson she is still trying to master. After high-profile splits from J.Cyrus and French Montana, she seems to be playing things closer to the chest. The fact that Ruis name even entered the conversation is a testament to how desperate people are to see her with an NBA star. But if Ruis reaction is any indication, there is no spark, no flame, and zero chemistry between the two.
Doja and Joseph Quinn are the real deal. This Rui thing was just a fan-fiction fever dream that went too far. Rui and Doja are not even in the same orbit, and he made that very clear.
The court side collapse: Is the drama a distraction
While Rui is winning the war on social media, he is losing the battle on the hardwood. Just hours after the rumors went viral, the Lakers faced off against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Ruis performance was a total nightmare. He went an embarrassing for from the field and finished the game with a big fat zero on the scoreboard. The Lakers were demolished to , and fans are starting to point the finger at Ruis off-court distractions. Is he too busy checking his mentions to focus on his jump shot?
Before this dating scandal broke, Rui was on a red-hot streak, averaging points per game. But as soon as the Doja rumors hit the fan, his game completely evaporated. The drastic dip in performance is raising alarms in the Lakers front office. Coach JJ Redick is trying to stay positive, but you cannot hide a scoreless night in a blowout loss. Some are wondering if the mental energy it took to deal with the viral hoax drained Ruis focus right when his team needed him most. The timing is beyond suspicious.
You can tell Rui was not there mentally. He was playing like a guy who had spent all day arguing with trolls. If he wants to keep his spot in the rotation, he needs to put the phone down and get back to the gym.
JJ Redick faces the bench dilemma
Rui has recently been relegated to a bench role following a calf injury, and the adjustment has not been pretty. Even though he is no longer on a minutes restriction, he is finding it hard to stay aggressive when he is not in the starting five. Coach Redick is doing his best to spin the narrative, claiming that no one cares if you start or come off the bench as long as you play well. But Ruis body language tells a different story. He is a starter at heart, and being a second-unit guy is clearly eating at him.
The Lakers rotation is in constant flux, and Ruis inconsistency is making him a prime candidate for trade rumors as the deadline approaches. While he claims to be okay with whatever it takes to win, his scoreless outing against Cleveland proves that something is off. Redick praised his defensive engagement earlier in the week, but you cannot play minutes and contribute nothing on the offensive end. The pressure is mounting, and the Doja drama is just another layer of noise that Rui does not need right now.
The fan base is turning on the gossip
The Lakers faithful are a vicious crowd, and they have zero patience for off-court shenanigans when the team is losing. The comment sections are no longer just about the Doja rumors; they are now filled with fans demanding that Rui get his head in the game. The laughing emoji he used in his denial is coming back to haunt him, as fans are now using it to mock his -point performance. It is a savage cycle of internet fame: one day you are a viral hero for a clapback, the next you are the poster child for a losing streak.
I do not care who he is dating or not dating, I just want him to make a basket! Rui out here fighting for his life on IG while the Cavs were running circles around him. Priorities, man!
The narrative is shifting fast. What started as a funny rumor has turned into a referendum on Ruis commitment to the Lakers. In a city like LA, you are only as good as your last game, and Ruis last game was a disaster. He is finding out that the same people who cheered for his savagery on Instagram are the first ones to boo him at Crypto.com Arena when the shots don’t fall. The honeymoon phase for the Japanese sensation in LA might be reaching its expiration date.
A cliffhanger for the Lakers season
As the Lakers head into their next stretch of games, all eyes are on Rui Hachimura. Will he be able to shake off the social media circus and find his scoring touch again, or has the Doja Cat curse already taken hold? The rumors might be fake, but the reputational damage and the box score are very real. With the trade deadline looming and Ruis contract situation up in the air, every game is a high-stakes audition.
Is there a deeper reason for Ruis sudden outburst? Some insiders believe there might be more to the story than just a fake photo. Could there be a legitimate connection that Rui is trying to bury? Or is he truly just a man who hates a liar? The more he denies it, the more the internet digs. And in Hollywood, where there is smoke, there is usually a very expensive publicist trying to put out the fire.
The Lakers season is on a knife edge, and Ruis future with the team might depend on how he handles the next few weeks. One thing is certain: he better hope his next performance is more explosive than his Instagram comments, or he might find himself traded to a city where the only thing people gossip about is the weather.
Would you like me to keep an eye on Briana Delgados social media to see if she drops any cryptic messages about the Doja Cat drama?
