Robin Givens pays Harpo a visit to "set the record straight" about Mike Tyson's previous interivew in the show...

http://www.worldstarhipho...JWec404T5d

Am I the only person that is disappointed that the story of the times that Robin and her mother were using Mike has been completely looked over in recent years (not excusing any of Mike's own flaws by any means)?!?

This whole Robin Givens thing is so difficult for me.

No woman, no matter how annoying, should have to endure the things she claims to have endured at the hands of her ex-husband Mike Tyson. Full stop.

At the same time -- and I cant quite put my finger on it -- there has always been something so disingenuous, so opportunistic, so unattractive (personality-wise) about Ms. Givens that I can never quite muster the sympathy for her that I could for any given abuse survivor. And while I've heard vague suggestions that she was emotionally abusive to him during their marriage, I never see any time given to that... and certainly not amid her own recent crusading against (ostensibly all sorts of [?]) domestic abuse. I find that curious.

At the end of the day, if Givens' work has a positive impact on the life of some abused person somewhere, I suppose I need to appreciate the good in that, even if I continue to get bad vibes from her.
[Edited 11/15/09 14:29pm]

Why isn't she allowed to tell her side of the story??? He went on Oprah and said his piece so why can't she??? I chalk a lot of that stuff up to they were both young and stupid when they got married and Tyson was and IS without a doubt crazy. He DID hit her, repeatedly, so why is she constantly cast as a bitch when she was a victim of abuse?

And what exactly makes her a rattlesnake??? She didn't get ANY money from Mike after the divorce, while his handlers and Don King robbed him blind. I never understood why this animosity isn't aimed at Don King who did more damage to Mike than Robin ever did. She's pretty much led a relatively quiet life since they split 20 years ago. While Mike descended into an abyss of crazy which in MY eyes pretty much supports everything she said about him.
[Edited 11/15/09 14:20pm]

SCNDLS said:

Because she showed up to Oprah's show to promote her book and GAVE her side of the story prior to Mike's interview.

I do sympathize with the woman for that incident, but she keeps pushing her agenda to the forefront,,,,,basically, I feel what Lammastide is saying.
[Edited 11/15/09 14:16pm]

Harlepolis said:

Wait, didn't Mike go on first? Why does it matter tho if she was a participant in that madness and Oprah CHOOSES to give her a forum to air her side. You don't really think Robin can just roll up on Oprah when she wants to. She's being used by Oprah herself and if it raises her profile so be it. Regardless, don't you think Mike was also pushing an agenda by going on Oprah?

SCNDLS said:

But Robin AND her mother did spend a lot of Mike's money behind his back during the marriage. It's doesn't excuse him for hitting her. But it does explain why Mike looked at Robin more like a "ho" than a "wife" when he did hit her.

SCNDLS said:

Nope.

This interview is strictly a reply to his.

And yes, his agenda(from what I felt from the interview/documentary) is to move on,,,,,hers, has been the same eversince the divorce.

Harlepolis said:

But he was on Oprah first so why shouldn't she respond if she doesn't agree with what he said?

http://www.oprah.com/arti...bin-givens

In October 2009, Oprah sat down with former heavyweight Mike Tyson to discuss his fight with Evander Holyfield, the death of his daughter and his relationship with ex-wife Robin Givens.

When the subject of Mike and Robin's 1988 interview with Barbara Walters came up, Mike said that Robin told lies about him. "At that particular moment, I truly wanted to sock her, but I just didn't do it," he said. "I have socked her before, and she socked me before, as well. It was just that kind of relationship."

After the show aired, Oprah received a letter from Robin, who is now the spokesperson for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Robin says she was disturbed and saddened by how Oprah handled parts of the interview. "I was really, really hurt," she says. "It's tough for all women to experience this. It's tough to have a man say it and feel that it's no big thing."

When Mike said he wanted to "sock" Robin after the Barbara Walters interview, the audience laughed. Robin says she was upset that Oprah didn't say ask them to stop. "I wouldn't be honest if I didn't [say] there wasn't a part of me that wanted you to ... say, 'That's not right,'" she says. "When there is this laughter, if you are in that situation out there, it kind of lightens it for all the women that are experiencing it."

Oprah says she thinks the audience laughed because they were uncomfortable and they reacted to Mike's word choice. "When you think of 'sock,' you think of a cartoon character. Most people don't use the word 'sock,'" she says. "I don't think that they were laughing at you. I think they were laughing at the term."

Regardless, Oprah apologizes for not handling the situation better. "In that moment, I will tell you, I felt that I should have said something. I felt that I should have said, 'Audience, that isn't funny' or, 'Audience, this is really serious,'" she says. "So I regretted even in that moment. ... I would say to you and to every woman who's ever been hit, I feel that I did not handle that as well as I should have. And I feel that I could have gone further and should have said more to clarify that what he was doing and what he was saying was wrong. So I apologize to you and to every woman who has ever been in that situation."

Robin says Mike's inability to take responsibility for his actions has a negative effect on the way abused women are viewed. "It affects where they are in their healing process because it's so hard. Some women aren't believed," she says. "I know the pain that I've gone through. If I can lessen it, their time, then it'll make what I went through mean something."

In fact, Robin says she's now been asked if she considers herself an abuser. "I said, 'I cannot allow this man to do this to me, to now give me another title that doesn't belong to me," she says. "I didn't cause [the abuse]. And any woman out there going through this, you're not causing it. And we have to get the perpetrators to really own up to it."

Oprah thanks Robin again for her letter. "I hope you accept my apology. My apology to you and every other woman out there who's been abused," she says.

TonyVanDam said:

Lot's of people, men and women spend their spouse's money, but if you think that's enough to make somebody a "ho" rather than a "wife" which justifies her getting hit . . . wow.

Lammastide said:

Well, I've met her a few times, the first time in '96 with her adopted son and as recently as '07, and she has always been very sweet, gracious, and unassuming. Very low key and initiated conversation with me every time. She's actually one of the nicest celebs I've met. But it's easier for the media to portray her as a cold, calculating bitch who took advantange of poor, dumb, misguided Mike.

SCNDLS said:

Nah, baby, she was there prior to his interview to promote this book and talked about the abuse...


Then she made THIS interview in responce to his.

Harlepolis said:

I didn't get that from the Interview, She seemed to be upset and kinda took Oprah and her audience to task for laughing when Mike said he wanted to Sock her after that infamous interview... Shit she made ole Oprah apologize

But i still don't like that heifer!!! (Robin)

Harlepolis said:

Oh, but wasn't that original interview like last year??? I still don't see why she can't respond to his comments if she has a problem with what he said AND Oprah gives her a forum to.

SCNDLS said:

What also gets me,,,,is how Oprah two-faced her way through it all(with BOTH of them).

Anything for damn ratings!

Nah Robin was just on Oprah Friday to respond to Mike's interview.. Oprah does a Live show on Friday's and the only thing she spoke about was how she felt when Oprah and the audience laughed when Mike said he wanted to sock her after they did that interview right after they got married

SCNDLS said:

I don't think that at all. Don't get it twisted.

I do think that Mike didn't understand the game like he should have. In "happier" times, Mike's situation with Robin in the 1980's was about the same as let say Lamar & Khloe is in the 2000's.

SCNDLS said:

I'm completely with you on this. I was through with Mike Tyson after
he bit Evander Holyfield's ear off and i was rooting for Tyson. Then
dude tells people he wants to eat their children. I don't understand why
Robin was painted as just someone who wanted his money and a bitch.
Like you said Don King actually was the one who really ruined this guy.
Let's not sit here and pretend this guy wasn't abusive to her. Even if Robin
was somewhat of a bitch,there was no excuse for him to abuse her.
Like J.Anthony Brown stated if you see Mike Tyson coming one way,your
ass better take a left and go the other way.

TonyVanDam said:

You said that it "does explain why Mike looked at Robin more like a "ho" than a "wife" when he did hit her." and I'm saying that doesn't explain a gatdamn thing. There's no justificatin for him, one of the most powerful punchers of ALL time, to lay his hands on her, even if she was a golddigger, it's not like she invented that pursuit.

And no it ain't the same as Khloe and Lamar in my opinion because

1. Robin had a thriving, budding career as an actress and was pursuing a college education BEFORE she met Mike, while Khloe was just leeching off Kim's infamy.

2. Lamar does not make his living beating grown ass, muscle bound men to a pulp, like Mike did. Therefore, him hitting 110 lb Robin ain't nothing but assault with a deadly weapon.

3. Lamar married Khloe after knowing her 4 weeks and knowing full well she been trynna catch her an athlete all year, so he's EXTRA stupid. Mike and Robin dated a year before marrying, so they both had an inkling and a clue of what the fuck they were dealing with.
[Edited 11/15/09 15:26pm]

phunkdaddy said:

And the KILLIN part to me, is that a lot of Mike's distrust of Robin was instigated BY Don King whispering in Mike's ear after Robin and her mother were, rightfully, questioning Don and his entourage about where the money was going. Regardless of their motivations, it was obvious to them that something wasn't right. Don then pitted Mike against Robin to deflect from the dirt he was doing and his tricks worked like a muhfucka. But somehow he's largely exempt from the hate thrown Robin's way.

Robin married a man that abused her physically. Signs may have been there beforehand, but the signs were ignored on both their parts.

So she stood up for herself and that made her unpopular because our man Mike was our hero. Our black Superman, an undefeated champion who we loved. Shame on Robin for speaking up for herself, bitch should keep her mouth shut and take her abuse like a good wife should. Teach her a good lesson for talking shit about our perfect hero Mike.

DAMN. Disingenuous or not if he hated the way she spoke to him or treated him, he always could walk away, seek counsel or leave her. Anything other that beat her ass, NO ONE deserves that, least of all someone less than 1/2 the size of their spouse.

What the fuck is wrong with you people up in this thread? If your spouse were to beat your ass then tell me what you would do? Would you keep our ass quiet? Would you allow the beatings to continue? Would you like people calling you an opportunist because your spouse had more money if you spoke up on it?

He beat her ass because she fine as hell and he was possessive. He loved her dearly, but he couldn't handle her fame and the attention she received.

Let the women write a book, hell let her make a movie, play, heck shout it from the highest mountain, if that makes her a bitch then KUDOS to her for getting away from her abuser.



Its a sad day when women and men say its OK for any woman to get her ass beat by a man.

Lammastide said:

We're of like minds. She comes off fairly unlikable. If she ever convincingly plays a sincerely defenseless, guileless saint of a woman, she'll be a shoo-in for an Oscar.

Ok.. you know what, I just don't need to up in here. Sorry Harlepolis, ya'll should continue. Nevermind my silly anti-woman beater rants.

paintedlady said:

I cosign with you!


However it is okay for a woman to get her ass beat by another woman if she talkin' smack....right?....RIGHT??

BklynBabe said:

You should always defend your self from any body that wants to hurt you. Now, if she hits ya, then yes... you betta beat that azz like she stole sumthang from your momma.

paintedlady said:

What the girl who stole.....ummm.. my friend's lunch money in 5th grade and pushed me down...can I regulate on her ass?!

bboy87 said:

No, you have a dick, so just go to a corner and cry that out until your shirt is wet with your tears and boogies run over your lips... don't let anyone see you. Besides, she may still be able to kick you ass.

bboy87 said:

Nah, cuz in 5th grade, that just means she like you.

paintedlady said:

or I can just get my play sista to whoop that ass