Mike Tyson Marries Lakiha Spicer In Vegas

LAS VEGAS — Boxer Mike Tyson has married for a third time, two weeks after his 4-year-old daughter died in a tragic treadmill accident.

The owner of the La Bella Wedding Chapel at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel-casino told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the former heavyweight champion and his bride, Lakiha Spicer, exchanged vows Saturday in a short, private ceremony.

Chapel owner Shawn Absher says the couple wed about 10 p.m. after arriving at the hotel from the Clark County marriage bureau in a chapel-owned limousine.

County marriage records in Las Vegas show the 42-year-old Tyson and 32-year-old Spicer got a marriage license about 30 minutes before their ceremony.

Tyson's daughter Exodus died in May. The girl suffocated after she either slipped or put her head in the loop of a cord hanging under a treadmill's console in her Phoenix home. Tyson's agent, Harlan Werner, told the AP that Spicer is not Exodus' mother.

Tyson and Spicer, a resident of suburban Henderson, asked for a simple ceremony with nothing special, Absher said.

"They just wanted to say the vows and be married," he said. "It was very sincere."

Tyson was previously married to actress Robin Givens in 1988 and Monica Turner in 1997.

His first marriage ended after one year after Givens filed for divorce and said in a nationally televised interview that she was afraid of Tyson. His marriage to Turner lasted five years.

Tyson and Spicer seemed very in love, Absher said.

"They were very heartwarming, and I think they really do love each other," Absher said. "He seemed happy _ and his life's been up and down."

Tyson last boxed competitively in 2005.

Comments

[derekc06]

what the he//...

[PoliSci2008]

This doesn't pass the smell test.

I can understand if Tyson is grieving and is in a fog, but if I was his fnance, I would have deferred the wedding vows until 2010 out of respect for the lost of his precious child.

[Jakealoper]

This man is more of a primate than a civilized person

[Ergon]

And you weren't motivated by racism to make that deeply insensitive remark

[janetellenbratter]

Well, actually calling him a "primate" may be an insult to other primates. "Primate" is a term that applies to apes AND humans, and his behavior over the years doesn't firmly establish that he qualifies in either category.

Needless to say the way this man has become who he is puts the term "civilized" in question. There is little that is "civilized" about nurturing the strong of body (but weak of mind) into becoming brutal machines who are then rewarded and admired for their ability to batter others nearly to death in the name of "sport". Is this a "civilized" culture not just for condoning but for promoting this so-called sport?

You can dismiss anyones' remarks as "racist" these days because the term has taken on gargantuan PC proportions that far exceed the individuals' freedom to express themselves. Accusing someone of being "racist" does nothing to validate or invalidate their point of view. It is yet another method for reducing complex issues into two-dimensional arguments, adding heat but little light to the question at hand.

[dxz]

Not everything should be ascribed to racism. I also agree that this guy is more of a primate than a human being. Marrying 2 weeks after the death of your daughter is PRIMITIVE AND INDECENT in ANY culture.

[richie42]

Am I the only person that actually liked his performance in the hangover?

[Ergon]

You're not. Liked the tiger too.

[AllenShadow]

Tyson is an ongoing American tragedy, and, unfortunately, the last act has yet to be written. He's a deeply flawed man who possessed raw talent rarely seen in the boxing world. Lost in the headlines of recent years is the fact that Mike's original prowess in the ring was matched by his early discipline.

All that's history now, and was owing to the likes of Cus D'Amato, one of the greatest trainers in the game (Floyd Patterson, Jose Torres), and Bill Cayton, who managed his early career. D'Amato nurtured Iron Mike and became his legal guardian, while Cayton, who had an extensive film library on the sport, turned the troubled youngster into a boxing historian. Mike studied the styles of all the greats and ran hard and long on the roads around Catskill, N.Y.

I live in Catskill and got to see the young phenom train and spent hours talking to Cus about his unique peek-a-boo boxing style. Mike's early success is legend, but after he left his Catskill home and its influences, including trainer Kevin Rooney (another American tragedy in the making), he was like a planet veering off its axis.

Tyson becomes human again in the new documentary by the same name. Yet someday, if he's still kicking, Scorsese, I predict, will make a true classic about this complex figure.

[Cogs]

Their prenup would be an interesting read.

[skippy20008]

It's unconscionable for him to marry so soon after the tragic death of his daughter. I'm not saying you spend years mourning, but, EXPLETIVE, you spend MORE THAN TWO WEEKS!!!

[joycehelene]

I hope his new wife will produce a child for them both to love, nothing can replace the one who died but this would be a real celebration of life.

[MiddlePassage]

What's important is what they want, and the woman does not produce on her own.

[MissDJ]

First of all, this is not some woman he JUST met. They've known each other for at least 10 years and she'd been his long time girlfriend before they got married.

Pic: http://www.bittenandbound.com/2009/06/10/mike-tyson-marries-lakiha-spicer/

And has anyone thought that this marriage perhaps has nothing (or little) to do with the death of his child? Why does his committing to a woman he's been with for some time have to be because his kid died? Granted, there are some who deal with LOSING by gaining. And I'd take it as far as to say that maybe most people compensate for the loss of a child by means that may not be the wisest but that do meet the expectation of filling that void.

Example, some parents will try to have another child to fill that void. You have married couples who break up over it because the grief's so overbearing that they play the blame game. Some parents kill themselves over such a loss.

Considering the possibilities, IF Mike got married to his long time girlfriend even PARTIALLY to fill the void left from his daughter's death...SO WHAT?? He could done worse things (like be fighting with the child's mother & blaming her lack of supervision for what happened...and NO, I'm not saying that's what happened...I'm just saying at least he's not doing what many parents do by playing the blame game).

I wish him & his new wife blessings.

[dxz]

Since they have known each other for 10 years, couldn't they have waited a few more months? 2 weeks after the death of your child appears to be an indecent haste!

[tlgeiger62]

Indescent haste - well said!

[PoliSci2008]

Exactly DXZ !!!

MissDJ and the former Miss Spicer have something in-common....poor stock.

[Mysticalsister]

"And has anyone thought that this marriage perhaps has nothing (or little) to do with the death of his child?"

The real question is, why doesn't it? HIS DAUGHTER JUST DIED! What's wrong with taking a pause?

Why is it that men, particularly needy men, can do such selfish, heartless things and be excused. If a woman did this, you'd be in an uproar.

it's a disturbing double standard -- and naturally, you're an (enabling) woman.
.

[katedog]

Getting married soon after a child's death is not what I would done in this case, but if you've ever known anyone who experienced a sudden tragedy you would know people react to unspeakable grief in different ways. Some are physically stricken while others seemingly go on about their lives...it's how they deal.

But think on this: Perhaps exchanging wedding vows is how Mike Tyson chose to celebrate his daughter's life. Perhaps his deceased daughter adored the then fiance and this is how they chose to honor her memory. What I'm trying to say...is that you just don't know and it's not for you to say.

p.s. I'm no Mike Tyson fan.

[Cowboylove]

This continues to support the stereotype that if a man has enough money a woman will overlook just about anything. That is the real moral of the story "Beauty and the Beast".

[ocgiii]

Money? He's got debt that will take four lifetimes to pay back. All he's got is 'celebrity'.

[zizyphus]

Why, sure that is the only thing that could explain Alan Greenspan's appeal.

[Mysticalsister]

you said a mouth full, cowboylove.

[katedog]

fyi, Tyson's beyond broke.

[RadGash]

How could anyone get married 2 WEEKS after their son was killed? Personally, I would be too devastated to ever contemplate marriage for months and possibly years. Me thinks Mike is into Mike.

[Swampy]

We've been with you forever Mike. And we've always liked you. May God bless you and Lakiha.

[robjh1]

He married her out of grief? And then they will divorce out of spite? Please.

[Mysticalsister]

nothing rushes a wedding faster than a needy man.

[AgnesBankhead]

despite everything in Tyson's past, i can't help feeling that this guy deserves to overcome the demons, not of his own making or choosing, and find some peace and happiness -- i wish mike and lakiha all the best .........

[obamagal]

Very well said.

[Waiganjo Thiong'o]

Loosing a companion leaves a vacuum that calls for a replacement in whatever means.Congrats Mike!