Mike Tyson Says He Was Sexually Abused When He Was 7 Years Old

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mike-tysonThere are many things that can happen in a child’s life that can have a lasting effect. Children who have endured sexual abuse often grow up troubled, have self esteem issues, have emotional instability and will forever be haunted by what transpired, which is something Mike Tyson has lived with since the age of 7.

Tyson recently appeared on an episode of Opie Radio Show on Sirius XM satellite radio when he opened up about the issue.
“They (the public) don’t know about this,” said Tyson. ” [The old man] bullied me and sexually abused me. If I told them (general public) that they’d think ‘you’re fucking fruity ‘ and this and that.”
The host of the show went on to question Tyson about his age when he was sexually abused, how many times it happened.
“I was seven. It was an old man. [It happened only] one time. [He] snatched me off the street.”
That one instance could have been the end of the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history had he not ran away.
The damage had been done and Tyson had to develop “an ego” to compensate for what happened to him.
“A bunch of entertainers have ego’s because it buffers their flaws and their demons. It buffers the one you’re afraid of. Everyone else is afraid of your ego but your afraid of the demon.”
Tyson has shown courage in admitting this due to the fact that it is hard for adults to reveal such a personal tragedy. He does not know if it drastically has changed him but there is the possibility. One thing he is sure of is that he is not embarrassed or ashamed of it.