As the third episode of Hulu’s uber-popular miniseries Mike, based on the life of the boxing legend Mike Tyson, aired yesterday, many fans have been curious about the controversial relationship between Tyson and American actress-model Robin Givens. So, in this article, we are going to learn what actually happened between the two back in the 1980s, when Tyson was at his peak and Givens was an aspiring actress. Read on to know more!
What happened between Mike Tyson and Robin Givens?
Now, starting from the beginning, Robin Givens was an aspiring actress when she met Mike Tyson back in the late 1980s. At the time, Mike was already an established heavy-weight boxing champion as he became the youngest heavyweight champion in history when he defeated Trevor Berbick in 1986.
After dating for a year or so, Tyson and Givens decided to bind each other in holy matrimony in September 1988. However, their marriage only lasted for a year, and the couple divorced on Valentine’s Day in 1989. So, what really happened between Mike Tyson and Robin Givens? Let’s find out.
While the world saw the marriage between the “Iron Mike” Tyson and Robin Givens as a happy one, Givens soon revealed her version of the story in which Tyson was abusive and mentally ill. During a joint interview with Barbara Walters on ABC’s 20/20, Givens levelled several harsh allegations against the heavyweight boxing champion, describing their marriage as “torture, pure hell, worse than anything I [Givens] could possibly imagine.”
Robin Givens continued to use ABC’s platform to reveal how Mike was abusive and had a “volatile temper” as Tyson sat beside his wife silently. “There are times when I thought I could handle it, and just recently, I’ve become afraid,” she said. “I mean very, very much afraid.”
Merely a month after this interview, Givens filed for divorce in October 1988. The divorce was based on spousal abuse and the judge granted Givens a restraining order. Shortly after this incident, Tyson took to the media to state that Givens tried to “steal” his possessions. He also took a dig at Givens’ mother, Ruth Roper, according to reports.
Following this, Robin Givens became an infamous personality and had to face many criticisms from Tyson’s fans and the press. In fact, many people reportedly called Givens a gold-digger and said that she only married Tyson for his riches.
The same month, Givens filed a $125 million lawsuit against Mike Tyson. She claimed that Tyson’s comments and allegations were the reasons that she was ridiculed in the public and faced grave embarrassment. Their divorce was finally approved in February 1989.
So, this is a short synopsis of what actually happened between Mike Tyson and his ex-wife Robin Givens. Currently, Givens is a mother of two children named William Givens Jensen and Michael Givens and is continuing her acting career in the industry.
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