After various reports in recent weeks that Kendall Jenner and Ben Simmons were either no longer dating or keeping their relationship low key during Simmons’ playoff run, another report over the weekend has the couple no longer together- and Jenner moving on to another NBA player.
Per Certified Pop , Jenner was seen with basketball star Blake Griffin in West Hollywood Saturday night. According to the site, “word spread that Blake was secretly meeting for a low-key dinner date with Kendall Jenner,” although according to the site’s source, the two left the dinner separately.
Griffin and Jenner are said to have had a brief fling last year, during one of Jenner’s off-again periods from her relationship with Simmons. Griffin plays for the Detroit Pistons, although he formerly was with the Los Angeles Clippers. Griffin, at 30, is considerably older than the 23-year-old Jenner, while Simmons is 22.
There’s one key indicator that the report is true. Hugh E. Dillon, a photographer in the Philadelphia area who is known as the “gentleman paparazzo,” has photographed Jenner and Simmons around the Philadelphia area in the past. Earlier this month, Dillon publicly disputed a report by the sports gossip blog Terez Owens that the couple had split up.
On Sunday, Dillon apologized.
“Apologies to @TerezOwens looks like ?Ben Simmons and ?Kendall Jenner? have split,” the photographer tweeted . “I’ve been getting tips on are they or aren’t they together for days. I’m going w/not in hopes both sides will stop thinking I care a lot and stop DMing me.” Owens accepted his apology, with Dillon adding that he was surprised at the quick split after the two shopped for glassware together in Southern New Jersey in early March, per NJ.com .
Jenner, whose appearances at the games of Simmons’ team, the Philadelphia 76ers, have been closely watched by sports and fashion obsessives alike, has not been seen at any of the team’s games thus far in the postseason. The 76ers lost Game 1 of their second-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors Saturday night in Toronto. Simmons scored 14 points in the losing effort, per ESPN.com .
It was reported last week, per The Inquisitr , that Simmons was steering clear of Jenner during the playoffs and putting their relationship on the back burner, in order to concentrate on the team’s playoff run. The Sixers lost in the second round of the playoffs last year, and are hoping to advance further this season.
Griffin’s team, the Pistons, lost a first-round playoff series earlier this month.