After taking a tough loss in his Netflix-streamed match against Jake Paul (a competitor 30 years his junior), it’s unlikely we’ll ever see Mike Tyson in the ring in such a capacity again. Before the Nov. 15 fight, the podcast host made it known he wasn’t in the competition for the money, but rather, to prove something to himself. “This fight is not going to change my life financially. If I did it for free, it’s not going to change my life,” he reminded SPORTbible. In the same conversation, Tyson mentioned that his other half, Lakiha “Kiki” Spicer, even expressed her reservations about the face-off.
“My wife is constantly telling me, you do not need to do this fight. This is what I want to do, this is me. I’m seeking my glory,” he explained. While his ego could be bruised following Paul’s win, Mike Tyson could never really lose with a wife like Lakiha Spicer by his side. Besides being a supportive partner and mother to their two children, Spicer also owns a clothing boutique, according to InTouch Weekly. Elsewhere, she’s been credited as an executive producer on HBO’s 2013 Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth special. Keep reading to uncover everything we know about the happy couple!
Couple Met When Lakiha Was Just 18 Years Old
Per the New York Post, Kiki was 18 when she attended one of Iron Mike’s boxing matches alongside her father, Muslin cleric Shamsud-Din Ali. It was the family patriarch’s relationship with boxing promoter Don King that allowed Iron Mike and Kiki to connect. At the time, King apparently warned Tyson, “Stay away from her. Don’t go talking to that girl. Leave these people alone. These are not the people to mess with.” As fate would have it, their relationship began five years later. “I could never really get him out of my system,” Spicer dished to the outlet in 2012. “I would try and then we would get back with each other. He’s the only person I was ever able to fall back in love with several times.” According to Spicer, Tyson draws her in “like a moth to a flame.”
Spicer Served Time in Prison for Allegedly Being on Her Family’s Payroll
While she has her dad to thank for getting her in touch with her future husband, the mother of two’s familial connections also earned her federal prison time. She was sentenced in 2008 after her father’s company was charged with making fraudulent Philadelphia city contracts and loams to a Muslin school. The New York Post reports that Kiki was on the family payroll, although she’s maintained her innocence in the case.
Iron Mike Was Married Twice Before Settling Down With His Current Lover
The first time Mike Tyson tied the knot was in 1988, when he and Head of the Class actress Robin Givens wed on Feb. 7 in Chicago at Holy Angels Catholic Church. Their union was short lived due to allegations of violence, abuse and mental instability on the boxer’s part. In a 20/20 interview in Sept. 1988, Givens described being married to Tyson as “torture, pure hell, worse than anything I could possibly imagine.” She also accused the champion of being manic, depressive (more commonly known as bipolar), which doctors later confirmed. A month later, she sough divorce.
They were officially separated on Feb. 14, 1989, and while they had no children, Givens claims she experienced a miscarriage. For his part, Tyson believes his ex-wife lied about the pregnancy to convince him to marry her. In his “Fire and Fear: The Inside Story of Mike Tyson” book, he admitted to punching Givens, stating “That was the best punch I’ve ever thrown in my life.” However, he later claimed the book was “filled with inaccuracies,” seemingly walking back his confirmation.
Almost a decade after that tumultuous union, Tyson settled down with Monica Turner, whom he had two children with. They were married from 1997 to 2003, when the pediatric resident accused her husband of committing adultery during their time together.
Lakiha Spicer Became Mike Tyson’s Wife in 2009
Lakiha Spicer and Mike Tyson exchanged vows in a low-key ceremony at the Hilton’s La Bella Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas in June 2009. The big day was overshadowed by the tragic loss of the fighter’s daughter, Exodus (who he shared with Sol Xochitl), just 11 days before, in a tragic treadmill accident. The 4-year-old’s neck became entangled in a cord at the time, and she was eventually discovered by her older brother, Miguel. Even with medical care, the young girl succumbed to her injuries – something that still troubles Tyson today.
Two years after their first wedding, Tyson and his wife renewed their vows in a surprise ceremony at the M Resort in Vegas. Guests thought they were attending a joint birthday party for them (Spicer was born on June 11 while Tyson’s birthday is June 30) but were happily surprised by the change of plans. As of 2024, their 15-year marriage is as tight-knit as ever.
Couple’s Children Were Born in 2008 and 2011
Besides the two kids he shares with Spicer, Mike Tyson has five children from past relationships. His youngest daughter, Milan, was born on Dec. 25, 2008; as it turns out, Kiki learned she was pregnant shortly before starting her prison sentence. As she gets older, Milan is showing promise in athletics, but not the kind her parents were expecting. “Me and my wife both never in a hundred years anticipated we’d be tennis parents and traveling around the state. It’s amazing. I’m just happy to be here. She showed the aptitude for tennis, and I’m just supporting her. I’m really lost, but this is exciting,” Tyson told USA Today at the 2016 ATP Masters Series event. Their son, Morocco Tyson, was born on Jan. 25, 2011.