Two women have filed lawsuits against former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman saying he sexually abused them in the 1970s.
Foreman has denied the allegations, according to a story from Reuters.
“Over the past six months, two women have been trying to extort millions of dollars each from me and my family. They are falsely claiming that I sexually abused them over 45 years ago in the 1970s. I adamantly and categorically deny these allegations,” Foreman said in a statement.
“The pride I take in my reputation means as much to me as my sports accomplishments, and I will not be intimidated by baseless threats and lies. I am, and always will be, guided by my faith and trust in God. I will work with my lawyers to fully and truthfully expose my accusers’ scheme and defend myself in court. I don’t pick fights, but I don’t run away from them either,” Foreman added.
Foreman, 73, is not specifically named in the court filing, but is referred to as DOE 1 in the lawsuits, according to Reuters. However, DOE 1 is described as a professional boxer who defeated Joe Frazier in 1973 to win the heavyweight championship. He is further identified as the person who lost that championship a year later to boxer Muhammad Ali.
According to the lawsuits, the women said they met Foreman as children and were assaulted by Foreman when they were teenagers.
One woman claims Foreman told her that her father would lose his job if she refused him. Both women’s fathers were involved in boxing, according to the lawsuit.
The claims were filed under a California law allowing survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file civil lawsuits, the New York Times reported.
The law, which went into effect in January 2020 and expires at the end of 2022, has resulted in thousands of claims accusing coaches, teachers, clergy and others of sexual abuse.
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