One of the most well-known boxers of all time, Muhammad Ali, fathered nine kids. He had a lasting legacy and was well-known for being brash both inside and outside the ring.
The boxer had nine children total and was married four times. One of the most terrible situations the former heavyweight champion had to go through in his lifetime was being divorced from one of his wives.
Muhammad Ali had a dark side that others weren’t aware of, as his four wives discovered. One of the many difficulties his wives had while married to the illustrious boxer was his adultery.
In 1964, Ali first met the 23-year-old Sonji Roi. According to rumors, Roi worked as a cocktail server and a model for Tan magazine. It was love at first sight and a fantasy encounter. Grunge quoted Roi as saying:
“I met him, and that night he proposed to me.”
The cocktail waitress consented, and on August 14, 1964—just one month later—the pair exchanged vows. Their marriage only lasted two years despite their initially lovely encounter. According to reports, the once married couple frequently argued over religious matters.
After Ali reportedly compelled Roi to convert to Islam following his conversion, she sued for divorce. Meawww claimed that Roi wasn’t prepared or at ease to follow some of the demands that the religion made of women.
When Khalilah married the former heavyweight champion, she was only 17 years old.
Muhammad’s brother Rahman Ali claimed that the boxer’s divorce from his first wife was one of the most trying times of his life. The couple divorced in January 1966 without having any children.
Muhammad wed Belinda Boyd in 1967, but unlike his first wife, she converted to Islam and took the name Khalilah Ali. Rasheda and Jamillah, as well as Muhammad Ali Jr. and Maryum, were their four children together.
When Khalilah married the former heavyweight champion, she was only 17 years old. Despite Khalilah accepting Islam, their marriage experienced its fair share of issues, the majority of which were brought on by Muhammad’s continued adultery.
Muhammad’s second wife revealed that she would book hotel rooms for her husband and his numerous lovers in his biography “Ali: A Life” by Jonathan Eig. She allegedly referred to the boxer as a “sex junkie” because of his long history of one-night encounters.
Khalilah acknowledged that despite Muhammad’s persistent infidelity becoming the root of their issues, they had a wonderful life together. Before Khalilah was reportedly unable to handle his ongoing indiscretions, she was quoted as saying: “It was simple to forgive him because he was the best part of my life.”
When Muhammad boldly invited one of his mistresses—who would later become his third wife—to join him at a reception with the president of the Philippines, Khalilah and Muhammad were still legally wed. In 1977, Khalilah made the decision that enough was enough and filed for divorce.
However, Muhammad had multiple extramarital romances while he was still married to Khalilah. One of these relationships involved Wanda Bolton. Bolton was just 16 years old when the relationship started.
Muhammad’s marriage to Khalilah was ultimately terminated by his relationship with Veronica Porché.
Bolton married Muhammad in an Islamic wedding, at which point she adopted the name Aaisha Ali. The couple received Khaliah, their daughter, in 1974 despite the fact that the state did not recognize their marriage.
Muhammad’s marriage to Khalilah was ultimately terminated by his relationship with Veronica Porché. Hana, their first daughter, was born in 1976 after Muhammad and Porché allegedly initially met in 1974. His infidelity, as Porché claimed, has not abated, according to People:
“With ladies flinging themselves at him, it was too tempting for him. It had no significance.”
They got married the next year and had a daughter named Laila. Porché, like his previous spouse, was unable to handle any more of Muhammad’s adulterous affairs. The two stayed together for nine years before splitting up in 1986.
After divorcing Porché, he wed Yolanda Williams the following year. He was 21 years old, and she had known him since she was six years old. Williams was questioned in an interview with USA Today when she discovered she loved him. She answered: “At the age of 17, But I believe I have loved him forever. In the end, I was aware that I would be the one getting married to him. It functioned as a road map.”
Asaad Amin, then 5 years old, was adopted by the couple in 1986, and they remained married until Muhammad’s passing. After having Parkinson’s disease for 30 years, he developed a respiratory infection that required hospitalization. On June 3, 2016, Muhammad passed away.
Muhammad reportedly passed away with Williams and nine of his children by his side. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a Broadway musical based on Muhammad’s life is in the works. Williams collaborated on and helped to assist the production of the program.
According to reports, Yolanda Williams expressed her excitement about watching Muhammad’s life play out on Broadway and expressed her pride at being a part of the project. Beyond his time in the ring, the musical “Ali” will discuss his generosity and civil rights activities.
210