At the peak of his powers, Mike Tyson was the most dangerous man in the world. He had a global reputation as a formidable boxer. He won his first 19 professional fights by knockout, and 12 of them did not even get past the first round. It does not get much badass than that. This formidable streak earned him the ‘the baddest man in the world’ tag, and he certainly lived up to it.
The problem was that Tyson was as much a bad person off the ring as he was a ‘bad’ boxer in it. He was consistently in trouble with the law, went to jail twice, and even got his boxing license rescinded for being a naughty boxer in the ring.
These frequent unsavory encounters affected his boxing career, his reputation, and also his personal life. Tyson has been married thrice, and two of those unions ended in unpleasant and controversial terms. The third has also not been drama-free. Asides his legal unions, he has also been linked to loads of women and has had frankly ludicrous stories posted about his sexual life. It has all made for a remarkable life so far for the legendary boxer.
He Had an Explosive Marriage with His First Wife, Robin Givens
Mike Tyson’s most volatile romance came with actress Robin Givens, and it also ended in his first marriage. He met Givens in 1987, and they began a whirlwind romance. Givens showed up to their first date with her mother and publicist, in a move that signaled the drama to come.
At the time, it did not stop the romance from blossoming, and there was a lot of public display of affection. Givens, an actress on the sitcom Head of the Class at the time, had gained a reputation for dating popular young men. She had previously been in a relationship with the comedian Eddie Murphy and famous basketballer Michael Jordan before meeting Tyson.
After the couple dated for 11 months, they tied the knot in Chicago on February 7, 1988. At the time, Tyson was 21, and Givens was 23. The two of them got married hastily because Givens told Tyson she was pregnant with his child.
She Announced a Miscarriage Shortly After Tyson Bought Her a House
After they got married, Tyson gave Givens and her mother three million pounds to purchase an estate in New Jersey. He also deposited six-and-half million pounds into her account. This did not deter Givens from showing an interest in the financial affairs of her husband.
When Tyson lost his manager and close confidant, Jim Jacobs, he went to pay his respect at his funeral. At that same time, Givens was at her husband’s bank, demanding her money. It led to her and her mother taking a close interest in Tyson’s business affair as they wanted accountability for the money Tyson was earning.
Shortly after Tyson paid for the house and deposited money into her account, Givens announced that she had lost the pregnancy.
Trouble Began in the Marriage and Givens Called Him a Manic Depressive on National TV
Rumours of unrest and domestic violence began to surround the couple. Tyson crashed his $180,000 Bentley while having an in-car argument with Robins. There were also claims that Givens was the victim of frequent domestic violence at the hands of Tyson.
This culminated in both Givens and Tyson agreeing to be interviewed by Barbara Walters on the ABC TV Newsmagazine show. In the interview, Givens described life with Tyson as being torture, pure hell, and worse than anything she could have ever imagined. She revealed that he had a very scary side, and he was prone to violence.
Givens also revealed the violent displays he frequently exhibited and claimed she and her mother were scared of the boxer’s temper. She went ahead to call him a ‘manic depressive’ on national TV. Mike Tyson displayed a calm demeanor as Givens revealed all and did not interrupt her. Tyson later confessed in his biography that he had indeed hit Givens, and he labeled it the best punch he has ever thrown.
Givens filed for Divorce Shortly After the Interview
Just one month after that infamous interview, Givens filed for divorce from an abusive Tyson. She claimed he was enraged by the interview and had destroyed furniture and other valuables at their $4.5 million mansion in Bernardsville, New Jersey.
She secured the services of reputable palimony lawyer Marvin Mitchelson and began divorce proceedings. Her partnership with Mitchelson lasted days before she secured the services of Raoul Felder. She asked for an equal share of his money, properties, and other assets.
Tyson proceeded to countersue, claiming he wanted the marriage annulled. He claimed she had married him for his money and fame and had no intention of making the marriage work. Mike also claimed that she was never pregnant and lied to get him to marry her.
He took steps to protect himself financially by moving money from joint funds into his account and blocked other accounts. They eventually finalized the contested divorce on Valentine’s day in 1989. They were married for just eight months.
Tyson Met His Second Wife, Monica Turner at a Party by Eddie Murphy
After his first marriage to Robin Givens crashed, Tyson went back to a wild life of extravagant spending and numerous sexual escapades. In 1990, at a party organized by Eddie Murphy at his mansion, he met Monica Turner. Monica Turner was neither a model nor an actress. She had aspirations to be a doctor and was a medical student at the time.
Turner grew up in Washington and studied at the University of Virginia, where she majored in Psychology and Biology. She then proceeded to study medicine at Georgetown. Tyson was immediately smitten with her intelligence and drive. At the time, Turner already had a daughter, having been involved with a convicted drug dealer who was 28 years older than her.
They Got Married After He left Prison for Rape Conviction
After they met, Tyson and Turner continued to stay in touch. When he was on trial for rape, she did not disappear. He was eventually convicted of the crime and sentenced to six years in jail on March 26, 1992. While he was in prison, Turner ensured he did not forget about her.
She flew to Indianapolis every two weeks to visit him. When he was released in March 1995 for good behaviour after serving three years out of six, she was there by his side. The couple later got married in April 1997 in Bethesda, Maryland.
The marriage, compared to his first one with Robin Givens, was much calmer, although it came with its fair share of troubles. The marriage produced two children, a daughter, Rayna Tyson, born in February 1996, and a son, Amir Tyson, born in August 1997. The couple lived a relatively private life in Bethesda, and Tyson gave the picture of a devoted father.
Turner Filed for Divorce after Accusing Mike Tyson of Committing Adultery
In January 2002, what seemed a successful union came crashing down to reality when Turner filed for divorce from Tyson. According to her, Tyson had been cheating on her with other women numerous times. Turner, a second-year pediatric resident at Georgetown University Medical Centre at the time, decided to divorce her husband after one affair too many. The hope was that the divorce would be more civil compared to his first divorce with Robin Givens.
Turner and Tyson finalized their divorce in February 2003, with Tyson agreeing to cough up $6.5 million in future earnings. Tyson also paid Turner an undisclosed amount of money. Also, Turner got custody of their two children, the couple’s $4.75 million mansion in Farmington, and the $4 million house she was residing in Potomac.
Tyson Met His Third and Current Wife Through the Promoter, Don King
Tyson’s current spouse, Lakiha Spicer, has had a slightly rough life of her own. She was born in Philadelphia in 1977 to a father that had been in prison for murder. She met Tyson at 18 when she used to attend his boxing matches with her father. At one of those matches, she was introduced to Tyson by the promoter, Don King, and instantly attracted to the boxer. Tyson, who was 29 years old at the time, is a good 11 years older.
They didn’t begin a relationship until 2000 when Spicer was 23 years of age. The affair, however, was an on and off thing with no serious commitment on the part of Tyson. He was frequently seen with other women during that period. However, things changed for the couple in 2008 for two serious reasons.
Spicer Spent Six Months in Jail while Pregnant with Tyson’s Child
The noncommittal nature of Spicer’s relationship with Tyson switched with something more intense in 2008 after a series of events. Firstly, Spicer discovered she was pregnant with Tyson’s child. More testing news came in 2008 when Spicer found herself up against the law.
She got convicted of defrauding her father’s company of $71,000 and spent six months in federal prison. She served this term while still pregnant. Their daughter, Milan, was born in December 2008. The couple also decided to get married, and in 2009, they tied the knot at the La Bella Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas.
The couple has remained married to date, having overcome numerous obstacles and challenges. Tyson credits Spicer for helping him overcome his drug troubles and making him a more mellow man. He also confessed that he had cheated on her during their marriage and only recently started being faithful.
A Rundown of Other Women Mike Tyson Has Dated and Been Linked With
When he was not busy getting married and subsequently getting divorced, Mike Tyson enjoyed the attention of numerous other women. The former heavyweight champion has been said to possess quite a healthy appetite for sex and reportedly had sex every single day back in the 90s.
So much so that he could not bring himself to train and work out as he was too tired. In his autobiography, he claimed to be sleeping with at least 15 women daily, a frankly ridiculous number.
It is therefore not surprising to note that Mike Tyson has dated several women. These women include actresses, models, TV stars, and even porn stars. Below is a rundown of some of the women Tyson has dated:
- Kola Boof – A Sudanese writer with whom Tyson had an affair in 2006
- Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace – Tyson dated the big brother star for three years from 2006 – 2009. She was born in North London, UK.
- Lauren Woodland – Tyson had an affair with the American actress in 2001.
- Luz Whitney – Tyson took his desires overseas when he dated the Dominican actress from 2003 – 2004.
- Naomi Campbell – Tyson was with the globally famous supermodel from 1989 to 1990. There is an exciting story of the two engaging in a quickie while at a party.
- Coco Johnsen – The adult model and former playboy magazine model was with Tyson around 1996
- Beverly Johnson – The American model dated Tyson from 1986 to 1987. She was one of his first major lovers.
- Sol Xochitl – She was with Tyson from 2004 to 2005. Their daughter, Exodus, was born in 2005 but passed away in tragic circumstances in 2009.
- Kenya Moore – Tyson’s relationship with Kenya Moore is shrouded in uncertainty, and the date of the relationship remains unknown.
- Kimberly Scarborough – Another one of Tyson’s baby mamas. She and Tyson had a daughter in 1990 named Mikey Lorna.
Tyson has Fathered Seven Children So Far in his Lifetime
Mike Tyson’s propensity for the frivolous and wild lifestyle in his younger days came with some consequences. They also produced seven children. Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, he lost his daughter, Exodus, to a tragic accident when a cord strangled her from the treadmill she played with. She was only four years old. Six children remain alive, though, and they are all into numerous, diverse ventures.
- Mikey Lorna Tyson – This is Tyson’s oldest child. She was born in 1990 to Tyson and Kimberly Scarborough. Not much is known about her as she mostly keeps away from the limelight.
- Rayna Tyson – 24 years old Rayna is Tyson’s first child with his second wife, Monica Turner. Like her father, she has ventured into showbiz. She has worked on two movies so far in her career. She was a research intern for the 2017 release The Death and Life of Marsha P before working as a set staff assistant on She seems to be doing well for herself.
- Amir Tyson – Turner and Tyson’s second child. The 22-year old is very prominent on social media, where he frequently displays his affluent lifestyle. He graduated from American University and claims to be the CEO of a company called Debonair Attire.
- Miguel Tyson – Miguel is Tyson’s other child with Sol Xochitl and the sibling of the deceased Exodus. He is a musically gifted young man who enjoys posting videos of him performing songs and playing the guitar. He also trains with his father on occasion.
- Milan Tyson – 12 years old Milan Tyson is the first child of Tyson and his third wife, Lakiha Spicer. She seems to have taken an interest in sports, unlike her other siblings. She is an aspiring tennis player and, with her father’s connections, continues to get the best help in that respect.
- Morocco Tyson – Spicer’s second child with Tyson and the youngest of all Tyson’s kids. He is just nine years old and has not featured much in the spotlight.
Mike Tyson was Worth Over $300m at His Peak
At his peak, Tyson was the most feared boxer in the world. He had it all and more. The money, attention, fame, and respect from viewers and critics ensured Tyson was an iconic figure in the world of boxing and even outside of it. He regularly brought in multimillion-dollar fights and was a top draw amongst boxing fans.
At his peak, after calculating his total winnings, Tyson had made almost $700m from boxing alone. His net worth, after all the expenses such as tax, training centres, and living arrangements had been sorted, still stood at a staggering $300m. At his peak, he engaged in fights that broke numerous boxing records in terms of prize money and pay-per-view viewership. No way he could lose all that money and toy with penury, right? Wrong!
Tyson filed for Bankruptcy in 2003 After Splurging on a Frivolous Lifestyle
Mike Tyson’s lifestyle contributed significantly to his fall from grace and eventually led to him filing for bankruptcy. Having amassed a vast fortune, Tyson fell into the trap many rich celebrities fall into. His expenses began to outweigh his income as Tyson spent on expensive things. He bought expensive homes, expensive cars, and even expensive pets. He spent over $60 million in the year 2000 alone, including $2.1 million on cars.
Tyson also got married and divorced twice. The divorce and settlement costs also took a considerable chunk of his wealth and contributed towards his malaise. His constant entanglements with the law, including going to jail for rape for assault and biting the ear of his opponent during a boxing bout, meant he lost money at a rapid rate.
By the time 2003 rolled around, Tyson was cash strapped and could not afford the lifestyle he had previously upheld. He was forced to file for bankruptcy, a shocking state of affair for someone who once had the world in his palm.
Tyson’s Current Worth is Estimated at $3 Million
The true test of any great champion is how they bounce back from adversity. It certainly looks like Mike Tyson is a great champion as he has made gradual progress towards bouncing back by engaging in other ventures to boost his earnings.
Following retirement in 2006, Tyson began appearing in minor roles on television and films. The most notable of these is probably his comedic role in The Hangover series. He also developed his animated series titled Mike Tyson Mysteries. He is also a New York Times best-selling author, having authored The Undisputed Truth.
His ranch, Tyson ranch, grows and sells its own brand of weed and cannabis. It reportedly fetches him close to half a million dollars per month. Overall, Tyson has made great strides. As a result, he has an estimated net worth of $3 million. Not bad for the former boxer who was bankrupt years ago.
