Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson’ and Netflix’s ‘Tyson’ giving us insight into the life, career, and struggles of boxing legend Mike Tyson, we get documentaries unlike any other. That’s because they incorporate not just the icon’s professional life but also his personal one, especially since they feature his life partner, former colleagues, and his kids. Therefore, of course, it has raised intrigue about his loving wife of over 15 years, Lakiha “Kiki” Spicer Tyson, a convicted felon and the boxer’s biggest, most unwavering supporter.
Mike and Kiki’s Beginning Was Far From Conventional
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to boxing fanatic and locally prominent Muslim cleric Shamsud-din Ali and Sister Clara Muhammad School founder Faridah Ali (aka Rita Spicer), Kiki grew up rather independent. It thus comes as no surprise that when she came across Mike Tyson at a local party thanks to her father in the 1990s, the 18-year-old wasn’t particularly interested. However, the then-28-year-old pro boxer was drawn to her, leading to them having some conversations that eventually evolved into a full-fledged romantic relationship.
In a 2012 interview with the New York Post, Mike acknowledged that he had taken others’ interest in him for granted and struggled to recognize genuine care. However, his manager-mentor at the time, Don King, clearly told him to stay away from Kiki as well as her family, stating they are not the kind of people one can simply mess with, yet he didn’t listen. Hence began Mike and Kiki’s on-and-off relationship, overcoming his infidelities, divorce, addictions, fraud conviction, and more. They ultimately promised one another forever on June 6, 2009, in a private ceremony at the La Bella Wedding Chapel inside the Las Vegas Hilton, and they now happily reside in Delray Beach, Florida, alongside their 2 teenage children.
Kiki Tyson Has Had a Few Legal Troubles of Her Own Over The Years
While there’s no denying Mike Tyson has quite a chequered past with a lengthy rap sheet and some serious charges against him, Kiki has faced her share of legal issues as well. In 2004, a federal jury convicted her, her mother Faridah Ali, and her brother, Azheem Spicer, in a school-funding fraud case. Kiki was also convicted of perjury. She was initially sentenced in 2005, but a government appeal led to a November 2007 decision ordering resentencing. Her family was separately convicted in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) federal prosecution involving other fraudulent schemes.
The 2007 appellate opinion describes a scheme in which the Community College of Philadelphia paid for classes at Sister Clara Muhammad School that were never held. It was essentially a ghost-teacher scam, wherein the institution funded a non-existent adult literacy program at the latter school, which was founded by her mother. However, since neither she nor anyone else ever set foot in these fictitious classes, all the payments made were technically false, which translates to federal financial conspiracy and fraud. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s 2008 report, prosecutors said Kiki had received $71,055 for the non-existent classes. Therefore, she was resentenced to 6 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution.
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Kiki Tyson is a Woman of Many Hats
Kiki was actually pregnant with her and Mike’s first child when she received the news of her fate, yet he didn’t leave her side despite not knowing of the child until she was released. Mike also didn’t know that shortly after, he would lose his then-youngest child, a daughter named Exodus Sierra Tyson, in a freak accident in May 2009, driving him to embrace his remaining family and tie the knot with Kiki a mere 11 days later. On June 6, 2009, they got their marriage license from the court and then tied the knot in a private Muslim ceremony at the La Bella Wedding Chapel at the Las Vegas Hilton immediately after. From what we can tell, their daughter Milan Tyson was born roughly 6 months earlier, in December 2008, with their second-born and youngest, Morocco Elijah Tyson, being born in 2011.
Therefore, while aspiring tennis athlete Milan is 17 as of writing, Morocco is simply a young teen trying to find his place in this world with the unwavering support of his parents. In fact, it appears as if both Mike and Kiki are unwaveringly loving, kind, and supportive of their children, enabling them to pursue whatever their young, ambitious hearts desire. As for Kiki’s personal standing, she has preferred to lead a quiet life since her legal troubles. So, all we know is that she is now a writer as well as an entrepreneur — not only does she own and operate her own clothing boutique, but in 2012, she also co-wrote a one-man Broadway show based on her husband’s life titled ‘The Undisputed Truth.’ Since then, she has also been involved in other artistic productions about her husband’s life, with the most recent one being the boxer’s stage show, ‘Return of the Mike.’ It’s also imperative to note that while Kiki herself prefers to keep well away from the limelight, she doesn’t hesitate to show up for her husband or her children. Whether it be Mike’s tour dates, public exhibitions, or motivational speaking events, or their kids’ sports games, extracurriculars, or school achievements, she is by their side at every step of the way.
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