Bulls waive Jaden Ivey after anti-religion, LGBTQ rants as mental health concerns emerge

The Bulls are cutting bait with Jaden Ivey, waiving the guard following comments on social media livestreams against the LGBTQ and the Catholic church.

The team announced he was waived “due to conduct detrimental to the team” in a statement.

Growing concerns about Ivey date back to last month and his comments on a livestream on his personal Instagram account on Monday about the LGBTQ community were the last straw for the Bulls, according to the Chicago Sun Times.

Ivey has been posting several lengthy videos on his social media in recent weeks, with the topic of the NBA’s support for Pride Month becoming one on Monday. 

Jaden Ivey #31 of the Chicago Bulls high fives after the game against the Toronto Raptors on February 5, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images

“The world can proclaim LGBTQ, right?” Ivey said in the rant. “They proclaim Pride Month and the NBA. They proclaim it. They show it to the world. They say, ‘come join us for Pride Month to celebrate unrighteousness.’ They proclaim it. They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim it in the streets. Unrighteousness. So how is it that one can’t speak righteousness? How are they to say that this man is crazy?”

In another video, Ivey called Catholicism a “false religion.”

Those comments received significant attention due to the fact that his mother, Niele Ivey, is the head women’s basketball coach at Notre Dame. 

All of it has also led to concerns about Ivey’s mental health, with the 24-year-old having discussed his battled with depression in the past.

Ivey arrived in Chicago in February as part of a trade that included the Pistons and Timberwolves. 

Bulls guard Jaden Ivey warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Toronto Raptors. AP

He played in four games for the Bulls following the deal and had struggled to regain the form he had with the Pistons. 

Ivey told local Chicago media in February that “the old J.I. is dead.” 

“I’m alive in Christ no matter what the basketball setting is,” he said. 

The NBA has not publicly commented on the situation. 

The Bulls had announced last week that Ivey would be shut down for the remainder of the season due to injuries.