In nothing short of shocking news, heavyweight legend George Foreman has been accused of sexually assaulting two women way back in the 1970s.
The two women, who have not been named for legal reasons, claim they were assaulted by Foreman “over 45 years ago.” Foreman came forward himself to release a statement regarding the charges, this before the case goes to court. Foreman says the two women have “tried to extort millions of dollars” from him and his family.
The 73-year-old former two-time world heavyweight champion says he and his lawyers will “expose his accusers” in court. Foreman “categorically” denies any wrongdoing whatsoever, and he says he will “not be intimidated by baseless threats and lies.”
Foreman said his reputation means as much to him as his many sporting accomplishments mean to him.
“Over the past six months, two women have been trying to extort millions of dollars each from me and my family,” Foreman official statement reads. “They are falsely accusing me of sexually abusing them over 45 years ago in the 1970s. I adamantly and categorically deny these allegations. 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 don’t pick fights, but I don’t run away from them either.”
It’s really not any non-lawyer’s place to discuss the law, yet it’s very hard to understand how an accusation of something that is supposed to have happened decades ago can be taken to court now, so many years later. The obvious question is, why have these two women, whoever they are, waited so long before coming forward? According to TMZ, the two women are asking for a massive $12.5 million each, with the lawsuit possibly set to be filed against Foreman this week in Los Angeles.
Foreman was a different person in the 1970s, when he was a surly, menacing fighter, yet there has never been any suggestion of Foreman doing anything like sexually abusing anyone before now. We do live in a world where a rich and famous celebrity is always at risk of being accused of something he or she did not do, the motive being money.
It seems too that this developing story will be followed by the various tabloids and TV news stations. Foreman insists he is, and always will be, a man of God, and that he will defend himself in court.
This is a nasty fight; the kind Foreman could never have expected to be defending himself in.
