Boxing legend. Grill guru. Ordained minister. George Foreman wears a lot of hats. But none fits better than Dad.
A heavyweight boxer, Foreman won the world heavyweight championship title twice in his career: once in 1973 and again at the remarkable age of 45 in 1994. Then, when he hung up his gloves in 1997, he picked up an apron and became a pitchman sensation, hawking a lean, mean, fat-reducing grilling machine.
You can learn about all that in “Big George Foreman,” a biopic executive produced by Foreman himself, directed by George Tillman Jr., and starring Khris Davis as the man called Big George.
But here, we’re diving into the champ’s other favorite pastime: fatherhood.
How many kids does George Foreman have?
George Foreman had 10 children across his five marriages, he wrote in his book "Fatherhood by George," published in 2008.
A tribute passed by the Texas House of Representatives in honor of the late Houston native Freeda Foreman, who died in 2019, lists her as having two additional sisters not included in George Foreman's book: Brenda Lilja Foreman and Courtney Isaac Foreman.
In 1985, George Foreman married Mary Joan Martelly. They have been together ever since.
“Mary is a good wife. We call her Joan,” he told CBN.com in a conversation about his book. “But the best thing that happened to me was finding a good wife who understood that children are not just something you can have today and then say, ‘That was something that happened in the past.’ It’s an ever-present thing in your life and it’s wonderful to have a wife to understand that.”
He continued, "You may have even an ex-wife or an ex-husband, but you can never have ex-children."
His daughters are Natalie Foreman, Leola Foreman, Georgetta Foreman, Freeda George Foreman and Michi Foreman.
His sons are George Jr., George III, George Foreman IV, George Foreman V and George Foreman VI.
Georgetta Foreman shared a photo of her with Michi, Freeda and George III in 2020.
Why did George Foreman name all his sons George?
If you haven’t noticed by now, the boxer's five sons are named George. In fact, they are all named George Edward Foreman, the same three-name moniker that belongs to their father. But why?
Foreman has offered up a few different explanations. In his book "George Foreman's Guide to Life," he said the decision went back to realizing the man who raised him was not his biological father.
"The joke is that I was too lazy to come up with something else ... but the truth is that after I found out I didn't have the roots I thought I had, I made a decision: I would plant some for my children that they could never lose. I wanted my kids to have a foundation that nobody could ever take from them — something they and their children and even their children's children could depend on if they felt disconnected from their family or their past," he said.
He added that each of his sons "goes by his own nickname," because he feels it's important "that they're recognized and treated as individuals."
George Jr. is "Junior," George III is "Monk," George IV is "Big Wheel," George V is "Red" and George VI is "Little Joey."
He's offered other reasoning elsewhere.
“I named all my sons George Edward Foreman so they would always have something in common,” he wrote on his website. “I say to them, ‘If one of us goes up, then we all go up together. And if one goes down, we all go down together!’”
He also cheekily said to CBN.com, “I tell people, ‘If you’re going to get hit as many times as I’ve been hit by Mohammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Evander Holyfield, you’re not going to remember many names.’”
Years later, when chatting with Bossip about bringing his life to the big screen in his biopic, he offered another reason. One that moms might relate to.
“My mother, when I was a doing bad, my mom would get upset, and she said, ‘Come here!’” Foreman shared. “She called me all the children’s names, and by the time she called my name, I was out the door. I said, ‘This will never happen to me.’ I call George and they all come.”
What are George Foreman's children up to today?
Most of his children stayed out of the spotlight and led relatively quiet lives. But a few did follow in their dad's footsteps.
George "Monk" Foreman III competed between 2009 and 2012. In January 2014, Monk co-founded the boxing gym EverybodyFights, offering classes, personal training and a fight school in several cities across the country.
Freeda Foreman also strapped on the gloves, boxing professionally in 2000. She retired a year later with a record of 5-1 and three knockouts. She died suddenly in 2019 at the age of 42, leaving behind a husband, children and grandchildren. An autopsy found she died by suicide.
Natalie Foreman is a singer and a professor of education, per her LinkedIn.
Leola Foreman is a stand-up comedian with a YouTube channel.
Georgetta Foreman is a television producer behind some of your favorite shows: “Divorce Court” (1999), “Beyond the Glory” (2001), “Justice for the People With Judge Milian” (2023).
“He has 10 kids, but growing up he made sure that we all had our special time,” Georgetta told CBN.com of her dad. “There was even a time when we all had our own days. There was a Georgetta day, or George the second day, or whatever. And he took that time out to make sure that that day you had whatever you wanted to eat, whatever you wanted to do and he took out time to get to know who we were and who we are now.”
How many grandkids does George Foreman have?
Per an interview with Bossip in 2023, Big George has 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, some of whom also share his name.
“People don’t know but I have more fun imitating characters and making my grandkids and children laugh, that’s what makes me most happy, enjoying my grandkids,” Foreman told Bossip. “We even named a couple of them George."
Speaking about his legacy with I Am Athlete in April 2023, the two-time champ offered a special tip he uses to ensure his children and grandchildren know that they are what matters most.
“You walk through my house, the last thing you’re going to find are trophies and championship belts. Those things are put away, because it’s all about the next generation — my children, their children,” he said. “I don’t want them intimidated or seeing something that’s going to, ‘Ahhh.’ I just want them to know it’s about them. I display their trophies now. Their medals. It’s all about them.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
