Sugar Ray Leonard Says He Was Sexually Abused
He’s one of the most legendary boxers the world has ever witnessed in the ring.
But Sugar Ray Leonard, 55, has sensationally revealed in a new autobiography that he had to suffer sexual abuse as a young fighter by a top Olympic boxing coach.
The former five weight world champion has also spoken of his drug use, growing up with domestic abuse, surviving a car crash and almost drowning as a child.
Fighter: Sugar Ray Leonard, 55, has sensationally revealed in a new book that he was sexually abused as a young boxer by a top Olympic coach
Much has been revealed about the ex-fighter, widely seen in boxing as only second to Muhammad Ali, in his new book ‘The Big Fight: My Life In and Out of the Ring’.
‘He had unzipped my pants and put his hand, then mouth, on an area that has haunted me for life. I didn’t scream. I didn’t look at him. I just opened the door and ran’
The sexual abuse allegations began when he went to a boxing event in Utica, New York, in 1971 aged 15 with another teenager and an unidentified ‘prominent Olympic boxing coach’.
The coach got them to take a bath while he sat on the other side of the bathroom – and they thought it was ‘inappropriate’ but not want to question him, he wrote.
Then several years later Leonard said he was sitting in a car in an empty car park and listened as the same coach explained the importance of an Olympic gold medal.
Later life: Leonard was voted off last month after appearing on the latest series of Dancing With The Stars with professional partner Anna Trebunskaya
But then Leonard writes what followed: ‘Before I knew it, he had unzipped my pants and put his hand, then mouth, on an area that has haunted me for life.
New book: ‘The Big Fight: My Life In and Out of Ring’ will be released next month
‘I didn’t scream. I didn’t look at him. I just opened the door and ran.’
Leonard said that he first intended to include a version of the incident without any contact, but decided to reveal the ‘whole truth’ with co-author Michael Arkush.
Dave Jacobs was his first trainer as an amateur and told the New York Times he had never heard the allegations despite knowing Leonard since he was a child.
‘He never talked about that to me and no one in the group ever mentioned it, so I assume he never talked about it to them either,’ Mr Jacobs said.
‘But if that incident did happen, I feel sorry for him in that part of his life and for having to carry that around with him.’
The book also reveals Leonard’s cocaine use, growing up in a home with alcohol abuse, surviving a car crash with his mother and fathering a son aged 17.
His drug and alcohol use were made public in 1991 when he responded to a report in the Los Angeles Times from records of his divorce from his first wife, Juanita.
The allegations come at a time when the United States Olympic Committee is fighting the problem of coaching predators, reported the New York Times.
Revelations: Leonard, pictured with his wife Bernadette, has also spoken of his drug use, growing up with domestic abuse and almost drowning as a child
An ABC News investigation last year found 36 swim coaches had been barred by USA Swimming following sexual misconduct allegations.
Leonard appeared on the latest series of Dancing With The Stars with professional partner Anna Trebunskaya, but was voted off last month. He is married to Bernadette.
The former fighter also acted as himself in the 2010 film The Fighter starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale, documenting the life of boxer Micky Ward.
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