In case you missed it, Kendall Jenner and Ben Simmons had a summer fling. “Fling” really is the appropriate term, as their relationship never appeared to stick for long (at least in the public eye).
Sources confirmed to Page Six that the two started dating back in May.
Though the pair went to Mexico together and were rumored to be sharing a Los Angeles rental home, the romance seemed short-lived when breakup rumors emerged in late August.
Since the split, Simmons was linked to model Ashley Moore; Jenner, to Anwar Hadid. But, there’s been speculation that they’ve gotten back together. (If you show up to your ex’s basketball game, the world is going to talk.)
Jenner, who formerly dated NBA player Blake Griffin, has never officially called Simmons her boyfriend. Sources told PEOPLE in August, though, that the celeb likes to keep her love life under wraps.
“She’s being very private about her relationship with Ben,” one source said. “Kendall’s really different from her sisters in that sense. She honestly doesn’t want people talking about who she’s dating and is very protective of her personal life. She hates the attention.” (Same, if we were in her shoes.)
Here’s everything to know about Jenner’s “boyfriend” Ben Simmons.
Ben Simmons is from Australia and has a big family
Simmons, 22, was born in Melbourne and grew up in a multi-racial, six-children home.
His mother Julie is Australian. She married American-born Dave Simmons, who played professional basketball in Australia for 12 seasons, according to The Undefeated.
Simmons has one biological sister and four half-siblings (from before his mother met his father).
“It’s huge for me,” he told ABC Australia of his family, “they keep me humble.”
Simmons now reportedly lives in Philly with his half-brother Sean, and his parents have a place nearby.
NBC picked up a scripted comedy based on Simmons’ life, Brotherly Love, in September.
Deadline reports that the show will tell of a “unique sibling relationship within a multi-ethnic family. Together, they pursue their dreams while navigating life in the spotlight in Philadelphia, a passionate city where sports is in your blood, and your blood is always boiling.”
Ben Simmons loves animals
“Being in Australia, being around animals at a young age, I’ve always loved [them],” Simmons told The Undefeated. “My first pet was my golden retriever. I got him at 7 years old.”
Sean told the publication that his half-brother used to also have a pet rat.
“He had a white rat that would chill on his shoulder, and [he’d] go around the house with it. We were weirded out about that,” Sean admitted, speaking of Simmons. “He was always growing up around animals.”
The two actually bought a pair of Savannah cats for their shared place in Philly, but the felines only stayed for about five months or so (Sean described them as “wild animals”).
Ben Simmons went to school at home, then came overseas
Simmons attended Melbourne’s Box Hill Senior Secondary College before enrolling in Orlando’s Montverde Academy boarding school in January 2013.
He played college basketball at LSU for one season until the 2016 NBA Draft.
Ben Simmons officially joined the NBA in 2017
Simmons currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers as a point guard, where he’s been since the 2017-2018 season.
He signed a three-year contract with the team worth $18.5 million, which means that his average annual salary is about $6.17 million, CNBC reports.
Simmons intended to play in 2016, but a foot injury caused him to postpone his professional basketball debut one year.
During the regular 2017-2018 season, his first in the NBA, he averaged 15.8 points, 8.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds in 33.7 minutes per game.
“I have been healthy all year,” Simmons told reporters back in May after the 76ers’ last playoff game in the Eastern Conference semifinals. “It’s been a blessing to be able to play in the NBA and have a full year where I haven’t been hurt. But, the feeling right now, I didn’t want to be done. I feel like I had a lot more to go, but you have to look at the positives and the negatives, and you got to keep moving forward.”
Simmons went on to win the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
And, according to Heavy.com, 76ers coach Brett Brown worked with Simmons’ father over 25 years before he coached the 22-year-old.
“It’s an amazing story,” Dave Simmons said. “You couldn’t have scripted it any better.”
