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Brooklyn Nets star Michael Porter Jr. went viral over the past week after he was seen with a transgender celebrity in Taiwan.
The online rumors trace back to a 2023 trip Porter made to Taiwan. In 2025, Taiwanese media reported that transgender influencer Xiao A La was seen at a luxury hotel with Porter Jr, who was not initially identified until it went viral on the internet.
In the recent episode of Curious Mike, Porter Jr. addressed the issue, telling the story behind his encounter with the transgender woman.
“So I was out there doing some appearances, and I get a DM from some woman out there, and she got—she got something going on,” Porter Jr. said. “Like, she looks kind of good to me, like more like my type physically. And I respond to the DM. We ended up kicking it, but I, like, was having to talk to her through Google Translate because we didn’t speak the same language.”
More From Michael Porter’s Transgender Encounter In Taiwan
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GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 21: Michael Porter Jr. #17 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 21, 2026 in New York City. The Knicks won 120-66. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Porter Jr. said they dated for more than an hour before telling how he knew he got viral in Taiwan.
“And we kicked it for, like, maybe an hour, and someone had taken a picture. And, like, three years later, the picture came out. I guess it went viral in Taiwan first, and it never, like, reached over here,” he said.
“And people were DMing me saying, ‘Yo, you’re going viral in Taiwan right now. People are saying that you were spotted with a transgender woman.’ I had no — I don’t even know who this woman was. And I don’t know if she was a transgender woman. We never got that far into speaking.”
Porter Jr. also made it clear in the podcast that he had no idea that the person he is dating was a transgender woman since they never discussed personal backgrounds during their brief meeting.
At that time, Porter Jr. was still playing for the Denver Nuggets and was fresh from winning an NBA championship in 2023.
Now, he is playing for the Nets, where he was given greater responsibility on offense, averaging 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game during the 2025-2026 NBA regular season.
Michael Porter Jr. Makes Personal Admission About His Love Life
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GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 01: Michael Porter Jr. #17 of the Brooklyn Nets reacts during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Barclays Center on March 01, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images)
Michael Porter Jr. made a personal admission about his love life after discussing his history with the transgender woman in Taiwan.
Porter Jr., who is now 28 years old, said he is looking to have a wife in his next girlfriend.
“Uh, actually I don’t have a girlfriend right now, but the next girlfriend I have is going to be wifey and I’m loyal to her,” Porter Jr. said on the podcast.
Porter Jr. had been rumored to be with several women before, including celebrity rapper Ice Spice, after they were spotted in New York together.
Porter Jr. added that he is currently single and practicing celibacy, noting that he is done with casual “situationships”. He has previously described women as a personal vice that has made it difficult to settle down.
For now, he is focused on the next season, his second one with the Nets.
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Rob Andrew Lo Rob Andrew Lo is a writer at Heavy Sports and is covering the NBA. He has covered local, collegiate, professional and international sports in various sites. He was the sports editor of The Varsitarian, the official student publication of University of Santo Tomas, and a sports, entertainment, and lifestyle writer for Rappler. A Journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, he has built his voice across both collegiate and international platforms, previously contributing NBA coverage to Fansided and Sportskeeda. More about Rob Andrew Lo
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