Mike Tyson has opened up on just how much of an impact his third wife has had on his life.
The former world champion boxer married Lakiha Spicer, commonly referred to now as Kiki Tyson, in 2009.
"I'm very happy me and my wife got together," Tyson told People Magazine in 2012, "because I don't know how I would have survived out there."
Tyson has had plenty of ups and downs in his relationships over the years. His first marriage, to American model Robin Givens in 1988, ended only a year later. The pair were married 11 months after their first date, but in a television appearance just before their divorce, Givens said she was frightened of Tyson's temper.
Despite divorcing in 1989, the pair continued to see each other. But soon after, Givens began seeing actor Brad Pitt and Tyson had the unfortunate timing of walking in on them during an intimate moment – which he recounted in his 2013 memoir Undisputed Truth.
"Dude, don't strike me," Pitt reportedly said as he was faced with the fierce heavyweight. "You had to see the look on his face," Tyson wrote in his book. "He looked like he was ready to receive his last rites."
Tyson was married again in 1997 to Monica Turner, with whom he had two children. However, in 2003 Turner filed for divorce amid claims of adultery.
In 2009, Tyson married Spicer and the pair have been together ever since. Their relationship hasn't been all smooth sailing, with Tyson admitting had only been faithful to Spicer for the last two years of their marriage in an interview on rapper T.I.'s podcast. In 2008, Spicer spent six months in federal jail for defrauding $115,000 from a company owned by her father.
When she came out, she found Tyson had become addicted to drugs – and addiction she helped Tyson kick.
Mike Tyson. Photo / Getty Images
Earlier last month Tyson opened up about death and his struggles with life in an emotional interview.
The 53-year-old has had a troubled life after being crowned heavyweight champion in 1986 at the age of just 20.
A year later he became the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles but his career spiralled after he was convicted of rape in 1992 before spending three years of his six-year prison sentence in jail.
Tyson then made a comeback, famously taking a bite out of Evander Holyfield's ear in a 1997 title fight leading to disqualification, and later entered bankruptcy before retiring after losing to journeymen Danny Williams and Kevin McBride in 2004 and 2005.
In an emotional interview with Sportsman, Tyson opened up about his life saying he looks forward to death.
"From my experience, from what I believe, the more I know about not existing, the more willing I am to die," he said.
"Yeah [I look forward to it], I don't fear it. Living might be more complicated than dying to me ... because living takes a lot of courage.
"Without the courage, you can't handle living. Living is a journey; living is a struggle. People have everything and they still can't do it, they struggle.
"We take ourselves too seriously; we think we're somebody. Who the f***, we're nothing! We come from s***; we think we're special [but] fame is s***.
"You find out you're not [special]. You're capable of going to jail, you're capable of dying, you're capable of being mistreated.
"I don't really expect bad things to happen to me, but when they do happen to me, I understand it and I'm able to handle it. I've handled bad stuff before, that's been my life. I don't trip over bad things, I know s*** happens. When bad things happen, I will be still striving to do something. I won't be discouraged."
