The Most Tragic Details About Mike Tyson's Kids

Steve Granitz/Getty Images

The following article includes discussions of drug addiction.

Mike Tyson's tragedy-filled life includes two failed marriages and a series of complicated relationships. In many ways, his reality spilled onto the next generation as well. Tyson's children have faced difficult obstacles, though most of them have gone on to lead successful lives largely out of the spotlight. That's not true for all, however. Tyson's daughter Exodus died when she was just a preschooler in a devastating hanging accident at home. That is by far the biggest tragedy to have struck any of his kids.

But some of his other six children have also had difficult starts. Tyson's now-wife Lakiha "Kiki" Spicer was incarcerated during her pregnancy with Milan, who was born shortly after she was released. That marked a dark time not only in Spicer's life but also in that of Tyson, who was in the throes of his drug addiction. Tyson's oldest child, Mikey Lorna, also didn't have the best start in life. Her father initially attempted to get her mother to have an abortion and then tried to give her money to get out of signing the birth certificate.

And after Mikey was born, her parents fixated on her weight, resulting in a years-long battle with her body image. Tyson also has an LGBTQ+ child who is often misgendered in the media and by loved ones. Ramsey's efforts to have their gender identity properly represented are a constant in their life. Tyson has come a long way as a father, but his children have been put through a lot.

In May 2009, Mike Tyson experienced every parent's worst nightmare. His 4-year-old daughter, Exodus, became entangled in the cord of a treadmill and suffocated, ABC News reported. Her 7-year-old brother, Miguel, whom Tyson also shares with his ex-girlfriend Sol Xochitl, found her hanging from her neck in one of their Phoenix home's rooms. "Either she slipped or put her head in the loop, but it acted like a noose, and she was obviously unable to get herself off of it," police Sgt. Andy Hill said.

Xochitl attempted to perform CPR after she freed Exodus from the cord and called 911. "My baby! She's choked!" she can be heard screaming in a 911 tape (via New York Daily News). Tyson, who had been in Las Vegas, flew to Phoenix to be at the hospital. The girl was put on life support but died from her injuries soon after. The death of his daughter Exodus hit Tyson hard. "I have become a member of an exclusive club no one wants to join," he told ET (via Reuters).

While never the same after, Tyson leaned on his wife, Lakiha Spicer, and his acting career to get him through. Exodus' death also motivated Tyson to address his addiction, though it wasn't simple. "I was determined to live a better life for the sake of my family, but the pain was so bad that I went back on drugs," he penned in a 2014 essay for The New York Times.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

The arrival of Mike Tyson's daughter with Lakiha Spicer, Milan, came at a complicated time in her parents' lives. She was born in December 2008, just months after Spicer was released from federal prison after serving a six-month sentence. According to the The Philadelphia Inquirer, she was found guilty of participating in a family payroll scam that embezzled $274,000 in public funds. Her parents also served time for running the scheme. Spicer found out she was pregnant with the couple's first child the week she reported to prison.

As such, she spent the bulk of her pregnancy behind bars, being released in her third trimester. That marked a turbulent time not only for Spicer but also for Tyson, who continued to struggle with his drug addiction. "We were both destitute," she told the New York Post in 2012. Tyson and Spicer couldn't even live together because the terms of his three-year probation stemming from his 2007 drug possession arrest didn't allow him to share a residence with another convicted felon.

Tyson wanted to be a good father, but he couldn't be present. "I wasn't really thinking about taking care of no woman or having a commitment, even though it's what I really wanted to do despite my past discrepancies," he said. At the time, Tyson had only been casually seeing Spicer for a few years. But their relationship strengthened as they leaned on each other during this difficult time. They wed in 2009. 

Mike Tyson's oldest child with ex-wife Monica Turner, Ramsey, who identifies as transmasculine and nonbinary, has repeatedly had their gender identity dissected and misinterpreted. Their own father has used the wrong pronouns and gender identity to refer to Ramsey, often calling his LGBTQ+ child his "trans daughter." But Ramsey knows their father has the best intentions. "He didn't mean it maliciously," Ramsey told Them in 2020.

After all, Tyson has praised them for standing up to Boosie following the rapper's transphobic remarks toward Dwyane Wade's trans daughter, Zaya. "Part of the reason why I wanted to talk to Boosie about it is because I'm a nonbinary person who's socially transitioned amongst my friends and started a medical transition," Ramsey said. "I felt like I couldn't not say something." In their conversation, Ramsey explained the difference between sexuality and gender identity. "He was blown away by that," they said.

Tyson himself confronted Boosie in a 2020 episode of his "Hot Boxin' With Mike Tyson" podcast (seen above). Ramsey was the one who opened his eyes about his own prejudices against the community. "I was Boosie at one time," he told TMZ, explaining he was ignorant about LGBTQ+ issues until his child educated him. "It's very sweet to say that I inspired him in some way," Ramsey told Them, though they admitted it's hard when Tyson and the media get their identity wrong. "It's always a little weird to be misgendered."

Gregg Deguire/Getty Images

Mike Tyson welcomed Michael "Mikey" Lorna with Kimberly Scarborough just months after his 24-year-old sister died of heart complications possibly related to her weight. When his daughter reached 50 pounds at age 4, Tyson began to worry she might go on to suffer from his sister's genetic issues. "She's very big, and that concerns Mike," Scarborough told the New York Daily News in 1995. "He makes sure I take her to doctors. He doesn't want Mikey following in his sister's tracks."

Mikey indeed struggled with her weight most of her life, reaching 390 pounds at her heaviest. But she didn't share her aunt's fate. Mikey lost 150 pounds and invested in a career as a plus-size model. In 2016, she was featured on the cover of Queen Size magazine. "I remember ripping all of Crystal Renn's Torrid ads out of magazines and I said to myself, 'One day that is going to be me ... I am going to be beautiful when I grow up,'" she said, referring to the plus-size model (via People).

To lose weight, Mikey went on a low-calorie, low-fat diet and paired it with running and belly dancing. "I wanted to make this go at weight loss as fun as possible," she told Queen Magazine (via AmoMama). But her childhood was hard. While well-intentioned, her parents didn't help her self-image issues with their tactics. "She's always diving in the fridge, so we put locks on the fridge door," Scarborough admitted to the Daily News.

When Kimberly Scarborough fell pregnant with Mikey, Mike Tyson was anything but thrilled. Tyson's tumultuous marriage to Robin Givens had just ended months before, and he had no interest in starting a family with his fling. He wanted her to end the pregnancy, and she initially acquiesced. "I actually went to the abortion clinic when Mike told me to get rid of her," she revealed in the New York Daily News interview. But she couldn't go through with it.

Still, the thought continued to haunt her for years — and Tyson, too. "Now we both shudder to think of what we almost did that day," she said. But it took him a while. Even though he gave her money to purchase baby essentials, he and his team tried to convince Scarborough to accept a settlement and go on her way with the child. "They'd say, 'What do you want? He's not signing that birth certificate. We'll offer you this money to stay quiet,'" she detailed.

Scarborough rejected all offers. She wanted her child to have a father. Tyson not only signed the birth certificate but named his daughter after himself, though he only acknowledged the paternity when she was 8 months old. He admittedly has many faults as a father and husband, but Mikey wouldn't have chosen to be raised by anyone else. "I just want to acknowledge him as the great dad he has always been," she said in her Queen Size feature.