Who is Mike Tyson?
Mike Tyson is an American author and former professional boxer. During his boxing career, Mike Tyson was popularly known as “Iron Mike” or “Kid Dynamite.” He is considered one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. Mike Tyson reigned as the undisputed world champion from 1987 to 1990.
Mike Tyson’s full name is Michael Gerard Tyson. He was born on June 30, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York City, the United States. His biological parents are: Lorna Mae Smith (mother) and Purcell Tyson (father). However, Tyson was raised by his mother and his stepfather, Jimmy Kirkpatrick. As of August 2022, Mike Tyson is 56 years old.
About Mike Tyson’s parents
Mike Tyson has never met his biological father, Purcell Tyson. He was raised by his mother, Lorna Mae Smith and his stepfather, Jimmy Kirkpatrick. Sadly, Jimmy Kirkpatrick abandoned the family when Mike Tyson was only two years old, leaving Lorna Mae Smith to care for the children on her own. Jimmy Kirkpatrick died in 1992. During his life, Jimmy Kirkpatrick was a regular at pool halls. He gambled and stayed on the streets.
About his father (Kirkpatrick), Mike Tyson said:
“My father was just a regular street guy caught up in the street world.”
Mike Tyson’s mother, Lorna Mae Smith was born in 1927 in the United States. After her first husband, Purcell Tyson abandoned the family, Lorna Smith stepped up and raised her children. Sadly, she passed away from cancer in 1982, three years before her son became a professional boxer. Mike Tyson was 16 years old at the time. In an interview, Mike Tyson stated that one of the best things that ever happened to him was that his mother died.
He added that had his mother been alive, he would never have achieved the level of success he has today because she would have “babied” him.
He said:
“I never had a chance to talk to her or know about her. Professionally, it has no effect, but it’s crushing emotionally and physically.”
Upon his mother’s death, Mike Tyson was mentored by Cus D’Amato.
About Mike Tyson’s siblings
Mike Tyson has three siblings. His brother, Rodney Tyson is a physician associate. Mike Tyson revealed that Rodney Tyson once saved the lives of some of his friends. He added that he is different from his brother because while he could barely read and write, Rodney was smart and intelligent. In his 2014 book, Undisputed Truth, Mike Tyson wrote:
“We’re black guys from the ghetto and he was like a scientist. He had these little test tubes and was always experimenting. I was like, ‘White people do this stuff.'”
Mike Tyson’s sister, Denise Anderson passed away on February 21, 1990, at the age of 24 from a heart attack. Denise Anderson was found unconscious by her husband and was reported dead on arrival due to possible cardiac arrest. She weighed around 400 pounds and suffered from diabetes which was said to have contributed to her abrupt death.
Mike Tyson’s brother, Jimmie Lee Kirkpatrick is a former American football player. He currently works as a physical education teacher and coach.
About Mike Tyson’s marriage and wedding
As of August 2022, Mike Tyson is married to his third wife, Lakiha Spicer. The boxing legend has been married three times and divorced twice. Tyson was previously married to Robin Givens and later on, Monica Turner. He has also dated Naomi Campbell and Kenya Moore.
List of Mike Tyson’s girlfriends
Mike Tyson has dated or hooked up with over 12 women, most of them popular in their respective fields.
- Naomi Campbell and Mike Tyson dated in 1989. However, they broke up in 1990, after one year of dating.
- Kenya Moore and Mike Tyson dated but the exact time of their relationship is not known.
- Beverly Johnson dated Mike Tyson in 1986.
- Tabitha Stevens and Mike Tyson dated in 1991.
- Lauren Woodland dated Mike Tyson in 2001. They split the following year, in 2002.
- Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace and Mike Tyson dated in 2006. They broke up in 2009.
- Luz Whitney and Mike Tyson dated in 2000. They broke up in 2004.
- Robin Givens and Mike Tyson started dating in 1987 and got married in 1988.
- Lakiha Spicer and Mike Tyson began dating in 2008.
- Monica Turner and Mike Tyson got married in 1997.
- Suzette Charles dated Mike Tyson in 1989.
- Sol Xochitl dated Mike Tyson in the early 2000s.
- Kimberly Scarborough had an encounter with Mike Tyson.
About Mike Tyson’s marriage to Robin Givens
Robin Simone Givens is an American actress popularly known for her portrayal of Sierra McCoy in the TV series, “Riverdale”. According to information gathered by DNB Stories Africa, Robin Givens and Tyson started dating in 1987. The two got married on February 7, 1988. Mike Tyson was 22 years old at the time while Robin Givens was 23 years old. Sadly, the marriage did not last and they divorced on February 14, 1989. About their relationship, Mike Tyson said to Oprah Winfrey:
“I’ve socked her before and she socked me before as well. It was just that kind of relationship.”
Givens reportedly had a miscarriage in June 1988. However, Mike Tyson claimed that the pregnancy was a fabrication meant to make him marry Givens. Mike Tyson’s marriage to Robin Givens was tumultuous but things came to a head in September 1988, when Givens described her marriage to Tyson as torture, pure hell and worse than anything she could possibly imagine.
A month after this incident, Robin Givens revealed that she was divorcing Mike Tyson. At the time, she cited spousal abuse as the reason for the divorce. Givens alleged that Mike Tyson was abusive. She went on to say that apart from physically abusing her, Tyson was also emotionally abusive and that he often accused her of cheating on him with Brad Pitt. Robin Givens said that Tyson’s abuse did not stop with the divorce. It was reported that Mike Tyson allegedly told Givens that he would make her life so miserable that she would commit suicide. Givens was then granted a temporary restraining order against Mike Tyson.
Tyson reportedly said:
“I’ve decided I’m not going to kill you. I’m going to make your life so miserable you’re going to slit your own that and die.”
As of August 2022, Robin Givens is very much alive and her career is blossoming. Mike Tyson and Robin Givens did not have any children together.
About Mike Tyson’s marriage to Monica Turner
Monica Teresa Turner is an American paediatrician. According to information gathered by DNB Stories Africa, Monica Turner and Mike Tyson first met in 1990 at a party hosted by famous actor and comedian, Eddie Murphy. At the time of their first meeting, Monica Turner had just joined Georgetown University while Tyson had achieved fame as a boxer.
However, two years into their relationship, Mike Tyson was convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison. Tyson was sentenced in March 1992 but was released in March 1995 after serving three years in prison. During his incarceration, Monica Turner visited Tyson regularly. She flew in every two weeks to check on him. After Tyson’s release from prison, he and Turner dated for two more years before tying the knot on April 19, 1997. They have two children together, Amir and Rayna Tyson. In January 2002, Monica Turner filed for divorce from Mike Tyson, accusing him of cheating on her during their marriage. Their divorce was finalized on January 14, 2003.
About Mike Tyson’s relationship with Sol Xochitl
According to information gathered by DNB Stories Africa, Mike Tyson met Sol Xochitl at a nightclub where she worked as a stripper. Sol Xochitl is of Mexican origin. Xochitl and Tyson dated in the early 2000s. At the time of their relationship, Mike Tyson was completely broke. He reportedly owed a total of $27 million dollars; $17 million dollars to the IRS and another $10 million dollars to his wife, Monica Turner from their divorce settlement, mortgage and other legal fees. While Tyson and Sol Xochitl never officially married, they have two children together named Miguel Tyson and Exodus Tyson.
In his book, Tyson refers to Sol Xochitl as Shelley. He wrote:
“She kept her home immaculate and she did a lot with me. Was a fitness freak, so when I’d work out and go run, she’d run with me. I’d run five miles, she’d run ten. She’d always one-up me.”
About Mike Tyson’s marriage to Lakiha Spicer
Lakiha Spicer first met Mike Tyson after one of his fights. She was eighteen years old at the time. In 2008, Lakiha Spicer was sentenced to prison for fraud. She discovered that she was pregnant with Tyson’s child a week before she began her sentence. She served six months behind bars and gave birth shortly after her release. They got married on June 9, 2009. They have two children together, Milan and Morocco Tyson. Tyson and Spicer celebrated their thirteenth wedding anniversary in June.
About Mike Tyson’s children
As of August 2022, Mike Tyson has a total of seven children – four girls and three boys. Two of Tyson’s children came from his second marriage to Monica Turner, two from his previous relationship with Sol Xochitl, another two from his current marriage to Lakiha Spicer and a daughter from a previous encounter with Kimberly Scarborough. One of his children, Exodus passed away at a young age.
List of Mike Tyson’s children
- Mikey Lorna Tyson
- Rayna Tyson
- Amir Tyson
- Exodus Tyson (deceased)
- Miguel Tyson
- Milan Tyson
- Morocco Tyson
About Mike Tyson’s children
a. Mikey Lorna Tyson
Mikey Tyson is the oldest of Mike Tyson’s children. Her full name is Mikey Lorna Tyson. He was born on July 31, 1990, to Mike Tyson and his ex-girlfriend, Kimberly Scarborough. Mikey Tyson is currently 32 years old. She works as a plus-size model. As a teenager, Mikey Tyson struggled with obesity but she has her weight under control now. She was featured on the cover of the November 2016 edition of Queens Size magazine.
b. Rayna Tyson
Rayna Tyson was born on February 14, 1996, to Mike Tyson and his second wife, Monica Turner. She is fondly referred to as Ramsey. As of August 2022, Rayna Tyson is 26 years old. She has worked as a crew member for several projects including the 2019 movie, Joker.
c. Amir Tyson
Amir Tyson was born on August 5, 1997, to Mike Tyson and Monica Turner. After his graduation from the American University, Amir Tyson joined ESPN in 2007. He is the CEO of Debonair Attire. He is currently 25 years old.
d. Exodus Tyson
Exodus Tyson was born in March 2005 in Phoenix, Arizona, the United States to Mike Tyson and his ex-girlfriend, Sol Xochitl. She passed away on May 25, 2009, at the age of four. Exodus Tyson was first found by her brother, Miguel. She was unconscious and dangling from a treadmill cord. Sol Xochitl untangled her, administered CPR and called for help. Sadly, it was too late and Exodus Tyson died.
e. Miguel Tyson
Miguel Leon Tyson was born in 2002 to Mike Tyson and Sol Xochitl. He is currently 20 years old. Not much is known about him as he prefers to keep out of the limelight.
f. Milan Tyson
Milan Tyson was born in December 2008 to Mike Tyson and his third wife Lakiha Spicer. She is currently 13 years old. She is an aspiring tennis star. She practices with Venus Williams sometimes. She has a brother, Morocco.
g. Morocco Tyson
Morocco Elijah Tyson was born on January 25, 2011, to Lakiha Spicer and Mike Tyson. He is currently 11 years old. He has a sister, Milan.
About Mike Tyson’s rape allegations
It is a well-known fact that Mike Tyson was incarcerated for the rape of a woman named Desiree Washington in 1991. Tyson was first arrested in July 1991. He claimed that he did not force himself on Desiree Washington and that he had her full consent.
However, Tyson’s chauffeur testified against him, stating that Desiree was in a state of shock after the incident. Tyson was convicted on February 10, 1992. Despite the fact that Tyson pleaded not guilty, he was sentenced to six years in prison and four years of probation. However, he served less than three years before his release.
