Freeda Foreman, Daughter of Legendary Boxer George Foreman, Dead at 42

Freeda Foreman, the daughter of boxing legend George Foreman and a former professional boxer herself, died Saturday at age 42, according to TMZ.

Law enforcement sources told the news outlet that Foreman’s body was found at her home near Houston, Texas by a family member. No foul play is suspected, but police are waiting on the coroner’s office for a cause of death.

Foreman followed in her famous father’s footsteps, beginning a professional boxing career in 2000. She won her first five fights, but quickly retired after losing her sixth fight the following year. She left the sport to focus on raising her daughter and working as a boxing promoter.

According to TMZ, her parents were reportedly not happy with her becoming a boxer, so her father paid her to retire.

In a 2000 London Mirror interview, Foreman said her father pleaded with her to not fight, but she ignored his wishes.

“Dad never wanted any of his kids to see him fight. He always protected us from that world,” she said at the time.

Foreman said she wanted to box from a young age after seeing her brothers constantly fight at home.

“With five brothers, there were plenty of fights at home,” she said. “When Dad was home, we’d run around the house, play fighting and I’d beat up on my three younger brothers!”

Foreman appeared in documentaries about her father and famously appeared in a 2003 episode of King of the Hill. She is one of George Foreman’s seven daughters, and one of three from a relationship with Andrea Skeete. The George Foreman Grill spokesman also has five sons, all named George. Foreman’s middle name was also George.

George Foreman has been married four times. His first wife, Adrienne Foreman Jones, recently told the Star Tribune she wanted to name their first child, daughter Michi, Georgina. However, it was George Foreman who decided against that.

“My daughter I was going to name Georgianna. I had a friend in Detroit named Georgianna, who was married to [NFLer] Charlie Sanders, and we called her Georgie. But [Foreman] didn’t want me to do that,” she said. “So I got mad when all [his] kids had George in their names, even the girls — there’s Freeda George, Georgetta.”

George Foreman retired from boxing in 1997 with a 76-5 record. He won the Heavyweight gold medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

In addition to her parents and 11 siblings, Foreman is survived by her husband and daughter.

Photo credit: Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post via Getty Images