In a shocking but not uncommon occurrence amongst boxers, Oscar De La Hoya opened up about being raped at the age of 13 in an interview with the L.A. Times.
De La Hoya mentions he was at a tournament in Hawaii when a 35-year-old woman allegedly raped the young De La Hoya.
“I was raped at 13, from a woman, an older woman,” he said. “Thirteen, lost my virginity over being, you know, being raped, basically.”
He offered some details.
“I was in Hawaii, I think, at some tournament,” he said. “She was over 35.”’
You suppress everything,” he added. “You’re living this life, the ‘Golden Boy,’ but, oh s***, wait, that’s still there. Like, I never thought about it, I never processed it, I never really thought how my feelings are … until one day it just comes out, and you don’t know how to deal with it.”
Some of the other boxers who said they were raped or sexually abused include Mike Tyson, Monte Barrett, and ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard.
De La Hoya added that fighting these demons he has dealt with due to being raped and struggles with drugs and alcohol and the loss of his mother has fueled his return to the ring.
De La Hoya had his own rape allegations when he was accused of raping a 15-year-old girl back in 1996 when he was 23, which he reportedly settled outside of court … and another woman claimed he raped her in 1999.
De La Hoya is coming out of retirement to fight Vitor Belfort on September 11th, 2021. It seems that De La Hoya is always trying to chase some demons away, which will be a lifelong struggle for him.
I am sure what happened with this 35-year-old woman had effects on him to this day, considering he mentioned this without being provoked.
Hopefully, De La Hoya is getting all the mental health he needs.
Flip the page for a video of the full interview.
