By ISABEL BALDWIN, US ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Published: 15:38 EDT, 13 March 2026 | Updated: 15:38 EDT, 13 March 2026
Former Disney Channel star Madison Pettis has opened up about why she broke up with her ex-boyfriend, NBA star Michael Porter Jr.
The actress, 27, and the Brooklyn Nets forward, also 27, dated in their younger years from 2016 through to mid-2017.
However, Pettis seemingly does not have fond memories of their relationship as she branded the basketball player a 'psychopath' last week.
'The Wrong Paris' star appeared on the In Your Dreams With Owen Thiele podcast and was talking through her nighttime routine when she brought up her ex.
'I'll have a glass of wine and I'll probably watch a basketball game,' she said. 'I'm really into sports… that helps me unwind a little bit.
'I'm a Warriors fan, but I have NBA League Pass on DirecTV… so I watch a lot of basketball. I know a lot of stuff,' she said before Thiele asked her if she would consider being 'a basketball wife.'
Actress Madison Pettis and NBA player Michael Porter Jr. previously dated from 2016 to 2017
The former Disney Channel star branded her ex-boyfriend a 'psychopath' last week
'Um, yeah,' Pettis said. 'I mean, my ex is now in the NBA. When we dated, he was in high school and college. I broke up with him before he was in the league because he was a psychopath.
'I do think a lot of athletes are not great partners, but I wouldn't rule it out because I do love what they do. I would have respect for them and love to talk to them about their passion.'
Pettis, who has previously starred in The Game Plan, Cory in the House and He's All That, did not elaborate further on why she described Porter as a 'psychopath.'
While she didn't name the hoops star, the couple did briefly date, splitting sometime in 2017.
The former couple even attended the Radio Disney Music Awards in Los Angeles together back in 2017 before they split.
Porter was drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft.
The forward, who won an NBA Championship with the Nuggets in 2023, was traded to the Nets last summer.
Shortly after arriving in New York, Porter sparked controversy when he discussed relationships and women on the One Night with Steiny podcast.
Porter, who was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 2018, was traded to the Nets last summer
'I don't mind providing for you, I don't mind doing that,' said Porter, who has $115 million in career earnings. 'You can stay at the crib, you can do your thing. You gotta bring something to the table.
'Positivity, you gotta help me mentally, you gotta be able to cook or something,' he continued. 'You gotta bring something to the table… look, what value are you bringing to my life? That's the way I look at it now.'
Pointing to his own mother, who homeschooled Porter and his seven siblings, the former NBA champion doubled down on his statement.
'In a wifey, I don't mind if she's a stay-at-home mom,' he said. 'My mom was a stay-at-home mom but she raised all eight of us kids, she homeschooled us, she cooked for us when my dad was out working, she raised us.
'You gotta be able to do something. These girls nowadays it's like they just want to live like queens and do absolutely nothing.'
Brooklyn Nets