A New York State woman filed a civil lawsuit against Mike Tyson, accusing the former American world boxing champion of raping her in a limousine in the early 1990s, according to court documents. regardless of the statute of limitations.
Tyson spent three years in prison starting in 1992 after being found guilty of raping 18-year-old model Desiree Washington. In a brief sworn letter dated December 23, the woman said she met the boxer at a nightclub “in the early 1990s” and then followed him to his limousine, where she claimed he assaulted her before raping her.
“As a result of Tyson’s rape, I received and continue to suffer physical, psychological and emotional trauma,” she said, noting that she is seeking $5 million in damages. As of Tuesday evening, Tyson has not commented on the lawsuit.
Born in Brooklyn in 1966, Tyson lived a turbulent childhood before becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world in the 1980s, terrifying his opponents with his belligerence in the ring and the power of his massive punches.
Tyson was arrested in 1991 on suspicion of rape and was sentenced to three years in prison the following year, after which he was released and returned to ring competition. On his return, he regained the world title, but later lost twice to his compatriot Evander Holyfield, one of them in a fight in November 1996, which is considered one of the most famous in modern boxing history, as he was excluded from the tournament. fight and was disqualified for 18 months after biting his opponent’s ear and biting off part of it. .
He tried to regain the world title in 2002 but lost to Britain’s Lennox Lewis and was forced to retire in 2005 after losing to Ireland’s Mike McBride. He returned to the arena 15 years later, at the age of 54, to hold an exhibition match against his compatriot Roy Jones Jr., which ended in a draw. Tyson continued to make headlines for his depression and addiction, especially in a one-man show chronicling the many ups and downs of his life.
