Joe Burrow’s House Break-In Details on the Robbery and Olivia Ponton’s Involvement

The burglary at Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s home raises more questions than answers.

Authorities are examining the Dec. 9 break-in, which occurred while the NFL star was in Texas playing the Dallas Cowboys, and whether it is related to other elite players’ residences that have been broken into since September. No suspects have been identified in the crimes, and the FBI is looking into whether “South American Theft Groups” are to blame.

Aside from the whodunit aspect of the larceny, Burrow’s break-in has sparked curiosity about his personal life because the burglary was reported by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Olivia Ponton rather than Burrow’s long-term girlfriend Olivia Holzmacher.

What happened?

Following break-ins at the houses of sports players Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, Burrow’s home in Anderson Township, outside Cincinnati, was targeted.

At initially, authorities stated that a “employee” of Burrow reported the event at 8:14 p.m. on December 9. The woman informed investigators that when she arrived at the house, she saw a “shattered bedroom window” on the first floor, “and the room [was] ransacked.”

When outlets such as People magazine got the police record, Ponton was recognized as the woman who reported the event. According to the investigation, the IMG model provided officials at the site with “a non-detailed itemization of what items were possibly missing.”

Ponton, who has 7.6 million TikTok followers and 2.9 million Instagram followers, told police that when she learned there was a break-in, she informed her mother, who then called 911. Ponton also dialed 911 herself.

When the 911 calls became public, Ponton was heard saying, “Someone broke into my house. “It’s completely messed up.”

Ponton’s mother called the dispatcher and said her daughter was “wondering what she should do, if she should be hiding or going outside.”

Burrow and Ponton have not publicly disclosed the nature of their relationship, whether personal or professional.

According to the Associated Press, a spokesperson for the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office stated that investigators are “exploring every avenue.”

What did Burrow say?

Burrow mentioned the burglary at the start of his regularly scheduled press briefing on December 11. While he did not identify Ponton by name, he stated that “my privacy has been violated in more ways than one, and way more is already out there than I would want or care to share.”

He went on, “We live a public life, and one of my least favorite aspects of it is the lack of privacy, which has been difficult for me to deal with throughout my career. [I’m] still learning, but knowing that this is the life we choose doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.

The story of two Olivias

While Macaulay Culkin döppelganger Burrow’s relationship status is unknown, he had a long-term romance with his college sweetheart, Holzmacher.

The couple started dating in 2017, after meeting at Ohio State University. In August 2023, Adam “Pacman” Jones, a former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback, stated they were engaged. Burrow and Holzmacher have not confirmed their engagement.

The pair was quite low-key, with their final public appearance appearing to be at a February 2023 Super Bowl party. Burrow did appear in an Instagram photo posted by Holzmacher in January.

In July, a blind item on Deuxmoi, which shares unconfirmed tips, stated Burrow was “single and mingling.” There was a photograph of him with Ponton in it.

Ponton came out as bisexual in 2021. During an appearance on Call Her Daddy in June 2022, she stated that she is pansexual. She formerly dated Canadian soccer player Kaila Novak and has been linked to Cole Bennett, a music video director, and TikTok star Kio Cyr.

What’s up with the break-ins?

Since September, burglars have targeted NFL and NBA players’ residences in Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Ohio. Cash and jewelry were among the goods seized.

Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, Kelce, and his Kansas City Chiefs teammate, Mahomes, were both targeted within days of each other, on October 7 and 6, respectively.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr.’s home was burglarized on September 15, while Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis’ home was broken into on November 2.

The leagues have urged players not to divulge where they are at any given time on social media — which is impossible given their public game schedules — and not to post images of large purchases.

While the FBI declined to confirm an investigation to the New York Times, an NBA memo from November stated that authorities “connected many of the home burglaries to transnational South American Theft Groups,” a sophisticated crime ring that targets cash and items that can be resold on the black market, such as jewelry, watches, and luxury bags.