Former heavyweight champion George Foreman has been accused in a lawsuit of sexually abusing two minor girls in the 1970s.
The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court by two women who say they met the boxer when they were children, according to Yahoo News.
The women, filing the lawsuit under the names Gwen H. and Denise S., say that after being introduced to Foreman by their fathers — one of whom was Foreman’s sparring partner — the boxer “groomed” them for sex for years until initiating a sexual relationship with them in their early teen years.
One of the litigants claims that Foreman even warned her that her father could lose his job if she did not agree to Foreman’s suggestions.
The 73-year-old boxing champ released a statement last month about the developing lawsuit, per TMZ.
“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,” Foreman told TMZ.
“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,” he added.
“I am, and always will be, guided by my faith and trust in God,” Foreman concluded. “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 insists that the pending lawsuit is part of a scheme to extort $25 million from him out of his $300 million net worth.
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