Mike Tyson revisits his turbulent marriage to Robin Givens in a new Netflix documentary, TYSON, which airs on October 13. The four-part series addresses abuse allegations, claims that his 1988 car crash was a suicide attempt, and his televised interview with Barbara Walters, during which friends believe he was under the influence of medication he never wanted to be on.
Tyson's whirlwind romance and marriage
Tyson met Givens in March 1987, shortly after becoming the youngest world heavyweight champion in boxing history, a record he still holds. Despite his international fame, the Brooklyn-born fighter had little experience with romantic relationships and said he "fell in love quickly."
Contributors to the documentary suggest Tyson's relationship with his late mother, Lorna, may have influenced his difficulties forming bonds with women. The programme also examines allegations that Givens and her mother, Ruth Roper, sought to "take over" his career during the couple's whirlwind romance.
Tyson, 60, wed Givens in February 1988, yet their marriage was only months old when claims of abuse and violence surfaced. Speaking in the documentary, journalist Wallace Matthews remembered being called to Roper's office unexpectedly around June 1988.
"She lays out this tale of woe that Mike is beating up Robin every single day," he said. "And I'm like, 'Wow, okay.' And then suddenly I feel these fingertips drumming on my shoulder. It's Robin Givens. She confirms everything."
Abuse allegations and a shrinking inner circle
Matthews disclosed that his editor at the time refused to run the story without hearing Tyson's perspective. The problem was he was gearing up to face Michael Spinks for the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles and was famously difficult to contact while in training camp. Matthews was particularly taken aback to get a late-night phone call from Tyson, who asked: "What the f*** do you need from me?"
"I told him everything they said. I read the quotes. And he got real quiet. Real quiet," Matthews continued. "And he said, you know, 'I can't believe they're saying those things bout me.' I said, 'Is it true or not true?' And he did not...he never said it wasn't true. He said something like, 'I would never hurt my wife' and, 'It's obvious they think I'm an a*****e.' He's really upset, I can tell. He's very upset."
The documentary then cuts to Tyson being questioned by director Floyd Russ about whether there was any substance to the abuse claims. Tyson stopped short of categorically denying the allegation as he responded: "We fought each other. We fought, yes. I know people say, 'She can't fight you. You're Mike Tyson.' But we fought."
The timing of Roper's intervention proves crucial given Tyson's close friend and mentor, Jim Jacobs, had died in March 1988. He also dismissed manager Bill Cayton in June of that year as his inner circle of trusted confidants shrank drastically in a short space of time. Givens also claimed in June 1988 that she had suffered a miscarriage. That assertion was supported by her doctor but has been questioned by Tyson in the past.
As swiftly as Givens' mother worked to leak the abuse story to the media, she retreated from the accusations. "We put the story out...the next day, Ruth and Robin deny it all," Matthews continued. "They wanted their story out and they wanted to pull it back, trying to get Mike back into the fold. It was all calculated for control."
Car crash and the Barbara Walters interview
Fast-forward several months, and Tyson was involved in a car accident after ploughing his silver BMW into a tree in Catskill, New York. Initial reports at the time suggested the then-22-year-old had tried to take his own life during a chaotic period. Tyson refuted that was ever the situation, however, saying: "I don't remember. I was mad at somebody. I don't know if it was Robin. I don't remember that night too well, I just remember I hit the tree.... I just ran into a tree. I didn't try to kill myself. I ran into a tree and it knocked me out. After that, Robin and her mother, they sent me to Robin's psychiatrist and they said I was a f****d up manic depressive. They prescribed me medicine."
Tyson requested Netflix to stop filming at this point, stating that reflecting on that period of his life "gives him a headache." Shortly after seeing Givens' psychiatrist, he joined his then-wife for an interview with Barbara Walters on ABC's '20/20' in September 1988. And he denied ever "striking" or "beating up" his partner.
He was caught off guard by the encounter, which Tyson claimed was arranged by Givens and her mother, whom he "trusted" at the time. Friends of the ex-world champion remember how restrained he seemed while sitting next to his wife during the interview, alleging it was deliberately scheduled while he was on antidepressants to give Givens the upper hand. Matthews even remembered watching the interview with his wife, thinking at the time that Tyson "looked like a sheep on Valium."
He went as far as to assert the entire situation was "coordinated to control" Tyson, who was "a cash cow." When questioned if he was medicated at the time, Tyson responded: "Yes, probably. Anti-depressants, I believe." Childhood friend William 'Ouie' Fagan corroborated this account: "They had to have him drugged up. I believe he was. He never said it but I believe he was."
Late TV icon Walters embarked on a challenging line of questioning, confronting the couple about the abuse allegations head-on, which Tyson didn't anticipate. According to him, Tyson expected a "family interview," not a "Mike Tyson's a horrible husband" one. Givens characterised their marriage as "torture, pure hell, worse than anything I could possibly imagine," while Tyson remained stoic for the most part.
"I mean, I can't believe this f****g b**** is saying this in front of all these people," he recalled of the sit-down interview. "I was upset and I was going to show her how upset I was once everybody left."
Divorce and moving on
That signalled the beginning of the end for Tyson's first marriage. Givens announced in October 1988 that she was seeking a divorce before Tyson himself lodged an application for an annulment. The couple eventually parted ways in February 1989.
Givens reportedly launched a $125million libel lawsuit against Tyson during their marriage, refuting his claims that she was after his wealth. This was allegedly dropped when their divorce was finalised, after which reports suggested she received a $10m settlement, though Givens has maintained she didn't receive "one dime" from the boxer.
Tyson has reached a state of peace regarding Givens now as he concluded: "How do I feel about Robin today? I don't have no hard feelings about her. I'm not angry at her. I don't wanna fight with her. You know, I didn't make a bad decision there. I fell in love with somebody. I don't look at that as a bad decision. S*** happens, you know? It was kind of bulls***, though, huh?"
