George Foreman accused of historic sexual abuse
Two ladies have accused former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman of sexually abusing them after they had been minors within the Nineteen Seventies, in keeping with lawsuits filed this week.
One of many ladies is described because the daughter of an adviser and supervisor to Foreman whereas the second girl is the daughter of a boxer who skilled with him, in keeping with the paperwork.
They’re searching for a jury trial and damages towards Foreman and anybody who may additionally be accountable for the alleged abuses. These extra events might be added to the lawsuit as extra info turns into out there within the case, the paperwork say
Foreman, in an announcement Wednesday, denied the allegations.
“Over the previous six months, two ladies have been making an attempt to extort thousands and thousands of {dollars} every from me and my household. They’re falsely claiming that I sexually abused them over 45 years in the past within the Nineteen Seventies. I adamantly and categorically deny these allegations,” he mentioned.
“The satisfaction I absorb my popularity means as a lot to me as my sports activities accomplishments, and I can’t be intimidated by baseless threats and lies. I’m, and at all times will likely be, guided by my religion and belief in God. I’ll work with my legal professionals to completely and in truth expose my accusers’ scheme and defend myself in courtroom. I do not decide fights, however I do not run away from them both,” Foreman added.
The lawsuits, filed Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court docket, don’t identify Foreman, however present figuring out particulars, together with that the alleged abuser is “a former skilled heavy weight boxer who went skilled in 1969″ who was inducted into each the World Boxing Corridor of Fame and the Worldwide Boxing Corridor of Fame.” The fits additionally say the defendant turned a world heavyweight champion in 1973 and finally misplaced the title to Muhammad Ali in 1974.
One of many alleged victims, referred to within the swimsuit as Denise S., says she was groomed by the boxer “at an early age” and accuses Foreman of performing sexual acts with Denise S. when she was a minor, in keeping with the lawsuit.
The second alleged sufferer, known as Gwen H., alleges that when she was between 15 and 16 years outdated, Foreman molested and sexually abused her after he “threatened that if she did not comply, her dad would lose his job.”
CNN has reached out to the attorneys for each ladies.
Foreman, a champion boxer and Olympic gold medalist, defended the coveted world heavyweight title twice earlier than shedding it to Muhammad Ali within the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle.” He took a protracted hiatus from competing on the finish of the Nineteen Seventies earlier than resurrecting his profession as soon as extra and once more turning into world heavyweight champion, earlier than lastly retiring in 1997.
