Before Robin Givens married heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and after she broke up with one of the world’s biggest movie stars, Eddie Murphy, the actress had a brief relationship with former NBA baller Michael Jordan, who by most accounts is one of the best basketball players that has ever lived.
However, in a matter of days, the Chicago Bull’s infatuation with the starlet fizzled out as quickly as it started as noted in an Oct. 12 report by Basketballnetwork.net.
In a resurfaced 1989 interview with GQ by David Breskin, Jordan revealed that his fling with Givens, which took place before he married Juanita Vanoy, didn’t last long, hinting that he was turned off.
Reflecting on the short-lived romance, Jordan didn’t mince words, believing he dodged a bullet.
In the article, the journalist explained that Jordan was reading another article published by USA Today, which covered Tyson and Givens’ tumultuous marriage and he was reading about it before stating that the two were dating for about a week before he knew he had to get out of the blossoming relationship.
“It got tired in five, six days,” he said in GQ, “I could see it.”
The writer suggested that she was money hungry, based on his conversation with the now-multi-billionaire, writing, “He could see she wasn’t dating men — she was dating growth industries.”
Givens never confirmed the relationship, but many people knew about it, including Tyson, who reportedly would later confront Jordan about the fling that happened before the boxer and the “Boomerang” star got married.
In the book “Taming the Beast: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson” by Tyson’s longtime friend and manager Rory Holloway, the author detailed a tense dinner scene where Tyson, fueled by alcohol and unresolved feelings over his divorce, unleashed his frustrations about his split with Givens on Jordan.
Holloway wrote, “Mike Tyson’s sitting there with his drink of choice, a Long Island Tea, and when he drinks his real feelings come out. … I’m telling the server to water his drinks down ’cause I see where this is going.”
“Mike stares across the table at Michael Jordan,” he adds, before saying, “He says, ‘Hey man, you think I’m stupid? I know you f—-d with my b—h.’ Jordan looks like he just seen a ghost. ‘I know you messed with her,’ Mike says. ‘You can tell me.’”
Holloway and other friends, including Chicago Bears star Richard Dent and legendary boxing promoter Don King, had to calm Tyson down before the situation escalated.
“Jordan, it’s obvious he just wants to get up and run. He wants no part of this,” he continued.
He ended his entertaining insider anecdote, saying, “It was a circus, for real, that night. Don King trying to change the subject. Me and John trying to hold Mike down. Mike telling everyone he’s going to bust Jordan’s ass. Jordan’s dressed sharp as always and he can’t get out of there fast enough.”
Although Tyson’s accusations didn’t have any real foundation — Jordan and Givens had dated before she met Tyson — the encounter still put Jordan in an uncomfortable position.
Tyson and Givens were married on Feb. 7, 1988 and divorced 53 weeks later. Their divorce was finalized on Valentine’s Day 1989.
Jordan, Murphy and Tyson were not the only big-name money men that Givens was rumored to have been in a relationship with.
Robin Givens & Mike Tyson (1988) pic.twitter.com/2QSClW0SAX
— 247 Live Culture (@247LC) August 2, 2023
Timothy L. O’Brien’s 2005 biography titled “TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald” revealed that Givens allegedly dated reality star-turned-president Donald J. Trump while still married to Mike Tyson.
Tyson, like Michael Jordan, confronted Trump about the rumors.
“Could I ask you, are you f—ing my wife?” Tyson reportedly asked Trump.
Confused, the current GOP presidential candidate responded, “What?”
Tyson repeated himself, asking, “Are you f—ing my wife? Everyone’s telling me that you’re f—ing my wife.”
Tyson even showed Trump a Vogue magazine featuring Givens wearing a Trump Princess hat.
That time heavyweight champ Mike Tyson accused Donald Trump of having an affair with his wife, Robin Givens: pic.twitter.com/xfAYXynyex
— Tim O'Brien (@TimOBrien) October 1, 2016
Despite the tension, Trump silver-tonguing his way out of an epic confrontation with one of the world’s most dangerous men in and out of the ring.
According to journalist O’Brien, Trump told Tyson, “Mike, I never even thought about it. I heard those rumors, and they’re disgusting. In fact, I called you a couple of times to tell you it pisses me off. I never, ever even thought about it. She’s loyal to you, and it’s total bulls—t.”
Another book, written by Harry Hurt, titled “Lost Tycoon,” noted that Trump was once overheard talking about how good Givens’ oral sex skills were.
The difference between the Trump and Jordan rumors lies in timing and response. For Jordan, Givens became a mere footnote in his life, while Trump claimed both Givens and Tyson as friends.
Jordan’s reputation for being singularly focused on his craft likely helped him navigate his life away from personal drama.
Although he wasn’t entirely successful — considering his gambling issues, marital troubles, and most recently, his son dating a teammate’s ex-wife — Jordan has likely found relief in the fact that Givens never linked him to a major headline-grabbing scandal.
