Getty Mike Tyson (R) and daughter Milan (L) are seen at the Kidcaster Booth for Net Generation on Day One during the 2017 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 28, 2017 in the Queens borough of New York City.
Mike Tyson has a large family and has fathered eight children, including one who died tragically at age 4, Exodus Tyson.
Many of his children are now adults and have started successful careers. Tyson has two ex-wives and has been married to his current wife, Lakiha Spicer, since 2009.
A new documentary, “Mike Tyson: The Knockout,” digs into his life and relationships. The two-part documentary airs on ABC at 8 p.m. Eastern time May 25 and June 1, 2021.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Tyson Has Been Married 3 Times & Has Been Married to Lakiha Spicer Since 2009, Who He Says Changed His Views on Women
Tyson has a series of failed marriages, but he has been married to his current wife, Lakiha Spicer, since 2009. He married his first wife, actress Robin Givens, in 1989. They were divorced after only about one year. Tyson then married again, tying the knot with Monica Turner. The couple was married for five years. Tyson and Lakiha Spicer were married in 2009, according to Essentially Sports.
He told rapper T.I. on ExpediTIously that Spicer and age changed his views on women.
He said:
Without my wife, I’m a savage animal…I look at women differently as I get older. When I was younger, I viewed them as pleasure. Now that I’m older, I look at them as the half. It makes me realize that I’m a man. And at this stage in my life, they’re my teachers. If a man doesn’t have a little bit of fear of his wife, he’s not living his life right.
That’s why I got married three times, ’cause I can’t live without a wife. If I don’t have a wife, I’ll kill myself. That’s real talk. I need somebody to listen to. I’m a soldier. I can’t think on my own, I need somebody to do it…I know myself.
2. Tyson’s 2 Previous Marriages Ended With Multi-Million Dollar Divorce Settlements
Robin Givens Felt Like ‘the World Was Crumbling’ When She Learned of Jamie Foxx’s Mike Tyson Movie
Tyson was divorced from Monica Turner after five years of marriage. Their divorce settlement included a payment of $6.5 million and the deed to their 61-room Connecticut mansion, according to The Washington Post. Turner accused him of adultery in the divorce filing, the newspaper reported.
The mansion “was listed for $4,750,000 and boasts 38 bathrooms, an indoor pool, movie theater, working elevator and 3,500-square-foot nightclub, according to the real estate agent handling the sale. Turner’s $6.5 million payout will include the proceeds from the sale,” the Washington Post reported.
They were married in a quiet, Muslim ceremony in Bethesda, Maryland in 1997, the Washington Post reported.
“Turner, whom friends describe as a private person, has said little publicly about her turbulent relationship with the boxer during the 12 years of their courtship and marriage,” The Washington Post reported.
3. Tyson Jokingly Said the Secret to a Happy Marriage Is ‘a Bad Memory’
VIDEO: Mike Tyson’s favorite arrest involves Ferrari plowing through glass window. t.co/9yeB9XnvHz
In an interview on The Diego Show, he jokingly said the secret to a happy marriage is “a bad memory.”
He said he has seven children, and jokingly added that no others have “claimed” him.
“You once said that the secret to a happy life is a happy marriage,” the puppet interviewer asked. “How many drinks did you have one you said that?”
He said he thinks he was sober when he said that, and added that he does whatever his wife asks.
“My wife says something, I do it,” he said, snapping his fingers.
4. Tyson Has 7 Children & Several of Them Have Successful Public Careers While Others Stay Out of the Spotlight
Tyson’s son, 23-year-old Amir Tyson, is an entrepreneur, according to his Instagram profile. Amir was born to Mike Tyson and Monica Turner. He is the CEO of Debonair Attire.
His profile also says he is an actor. Amir’s sister, Rayna Tyson, is 25 and leads a private life, according to Essentially Sports.
Mikey Lorna Tyson, 31, was born to Tyson and Kimberly Scarborough in 1990. He acknowledged paternity of the girl when she was eight months old in family court, according to the Deseret News.
Miguel Leon is the son of Mike Tyson’s ex-girlfriend, Sol Xochitl, according to Essentially Sports. He was born in 2002.
Tyson’s two youngest children, Milan and Morocco, were born to his current wife. At age 13, Milan is already making public appearances with her dad. She also plays tennis, according to her Instagram profile. Morocco Tyson, age 10, has an Instagram profile managed by his parents.
5. Tyson’s Daughter, Exodus Tyson, Died at Age 4 in an Accident Involving a Treadmill
Today in History. Mike Tyson’s 4yr old daughter Exodus breathed her last on 27th May 2009 after a tragic accident in which her neck got caught in a treadmill cord. Its alleged she slipped while playing She was put on life support but never regained her consciousness. RIP Exodus
Tyson’s daughter, Exodus, died when she was only 4 years old in 2009, according to ABC News. She became caught in a cord from a treadmill and was on life support in the hospital before her death, the news outlet reported. It was her 7-year-old brother, Miguel Leon, who found his sister.
Phoenix police determined the little girl’s death was the result of “a tragic accident,” according to ABC.
“Somehow, she was playing on this treadmill, and there’s a cord that hangs under the console; it’s kind of a loop,” said police Sgt. Andy Hill. “Either she slipped or put her head in the loop, but it acted like a noose, and she was obviously unable to get herself off of it.”
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