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George Foreman has been hit with lawsuits that allege the former boxer sexually assaulted two women when they were teenagers.
On Tuesday (August 23), two women, identified under pseudonyms Denise S. and Gwen H., filed lawsuits in Los Angeles Superior Court accusing Foreman of raping them in the 1970s when they were between the ages of 13 and 17.
Foreman has adamantly denied the allegations and claimed the women are extorting him for millions.
"Over the past six months, two women have been trying to extort millions of dollars each from me and my family. They are falsely claiming that I sexually abused them over 45 years ago in the 1970s. I adamantly and categorically deny these allegations," he said in a statement to the New York Times.
"I will work with my lawyers to fully and truthfully expose my accusers' scheme and defend myself in court. I don't pick fights, but I don't run away from them either," Foreman added.
According to Denise's lawsuit, Foreman began grooming her when she was eight years old.
In 1976, Foreman allegedly raped Denise several times.
"At all relevant times, Plaintiff was a minor of approximately 13-16 years old and had no ability or legal capacity to consent to the aforementioned sexual acts," court documents state, citing that Foreman was around 24 years old at the time of the alleged assault.
Gwen H. claims Foreman started assaulting her at age 15. Per her suit, the former heavyweight champ and her father worked together, and Foreman threatened to fire him if she didn't comply.
The women are now requesting a trial by jury.
Their lawyers say they have "suffered injuries including, but not limited to, physical and mental pain and suffering, physical injuries, past and future costs of medical care and treatment, and past and future loss of earnings and earning capacity, in an amount not yet ascertained, but which exceeds the minimum jurisdictional limits of this Court."
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