Mike Tyson has his life and achievements well-documented in the public sphere, from his highest triumphs to his lowest points.
In contrast, much less is known about Lakiha “Kiki” Spicer, his wife for the past 15 years. Tyson and Spicer first met in the 1990s when she was just 18 and he was 28.
“At that particular time I was an idiot and I believed that it was normal protocol that everyone should want to be with me,” Tyson said.
“That’s what I was taught in life. I didn’t know people could really care about you because you’re really not that bad of a schmuck.”
At the time, Tyson‘s then-manager, Don King, advised him against getting involved with Spicer, who is the daughter of Shamsud-din Ali, a notable Philadelphia religious leader and an avid boxing fan.
“Stay away from her,” he said.
“Don’t go talking to that girl. Leave these people alone. These are not the people to mess with.”
Their relationship started while Tyson was still married to his second wife, Monica Turner. Following his divorce, Tyson and Spicer experienced an intermittent relationship until they eventually wed in 2009. Six months after marrying, the couple welcomed their first daughter, Milan, and their second child, Morocco Elijah, followed in 2011.
Why was Lakiha Spicer in prison?
Spicer herself has been embroiled in controversy. In 2008, she was sentenced to six months in federal prison for fraud and conspiracy, a case that also implicated her parents, Shamsud-din and Faridah, and her brother Azheem Spicer.
Following her release from prison, just before the birth of Milan, Spicer has maintained a low profile, seldom appearing in public except when accompanying her husband, and she keeps her social media profiles private.