Imagine growing up knowing your dad is one of the most famous boxers in the world, yet your early years are spent in a tiny Harlem apartment with your mom. That was the reality for Mikey Lorna Tyson, Mike Tyson’s daughter.
Despite initial struggles, Mikey, 36, quickly became the apple of her dad’s eye, embodying his looks and mannerisms to an almost uncanny degree. When she was born, her mother Kimberly Scarborough told NY DailyNews that she thought it was a boy, emphasizing how much she resembled her dad.
But life wasn’t easy for Mikey aka Miki and her mom. As a child, she and her mom would make the arduous journey to the Indiana Youth Center to visit her father, who was serving his six-year sentence for raping Desiree Washington.
For a little girl, these visits were both magical and heartbreaking. As soon as Mikey saw her dad, she would run to him, wrapping herself around him in a big bear hug, not fully grasping the gravity of their meeting place. To her, it was a “work camp,” not a prison.
And whenever the time was up, she used to get really sad. Kimberly recalls, “She used to get upset when Mike stood up and went back to the cell. So now we have this routine where he says, ‘I have to go home now,’ and then we leave before the guards call him back.”
Mike, on the other hand, found these moments bittersweet, once expressing despair at his daughter seeing him in such a state. Despite this, their bond grew, with Mike transforming into a more tender and caring father always concerned about their living conditions and safety.
Alongside the emotional challenges, Mikey faced personal struggles with obesity from a young age, weighing 50 pounds by the age of four. This was particularly alarming for Mike, given his family history—his sister had tragically passed away due to complications related to obesity.
This led to a household regime focused on health, with Mikey under constant surveillance concerning her diet, and Kimberly taking measures like locking the fridge and cutting out unnecessary fats to manage her daughter’s condition.
Financial constraints added another layer of difficulty, with Kimberly often struggling to afford special clothing and shoes for Mikey.
Miki’s battle with weight was a lifelong challenge, one she openly discussed in a 2007 interview with ContactMusic. She attributed it to a genetic predisposition inherited from her father’s side of the family.
In her now-defunct blog, A Girl Named Michael, and on her 2016 profile in Queen Size Magazine, Mikey shared her weight loss journey, from attending weight-loss camps, and following a low-calorie, low-fat diet, to engaging in activities like running and belly dancing.
She also mentioned how she never obsessed over the numbers on the scale, preferring instead to judge her progress by how her clothes fit. At her heaviest, she weighed 390 pounds.
Today, she leads a very healthy life. She has lost a substantial amount of weight. Take a look at her recent photo.
Meanwhile, Mikey has also planned to start a non-profit called Tyson’s Bow, aimed at combating obesity in inner-city children, channeling her experiences into a force for good.
Through all the hardships, the love and support within her family, coupled with the strength they drew from each other, played a crucial role in shaping Mikey into the resilient and loving person she is today.
Profile Summary
- Birthname: Michael Lorna Tyson
- Birthday: 31st July, 1990
- Height: 5ft 7inches
- Weight: 180 pounds
She Was Almost Never Born
When Kimberly first found out she was pregnant, Mike was far from the supportive dad. He suggested an abortion, and Kimberly, torn and unsure, found herself at the clinic’s doors.
However, in a dramatic twist of fate, she couldn’t go through with it and walked out. “Now we both shudder to think of what we almost did that day,” Kimberly says, reflecting on that pivotal moment.
Fast forward to just before Mikey’s birth, and things were still a bit rocky. Tyson, still grappling with the idea of being a dad, handed Kimberly some cash for baby essentials but remained hesitant. Meanwhile, Kimberly agreed to keep the baby’s paternity a secret, not even spilling the beans to her closest friends.
Every day, she got calls from Tyson’s team offering her big bucks to stay quiet. She revealed the sum was more than a million dollar, but Kimberly wasn’t in it for the money; all she wanted was for Mike to acknowledge their daughter.
Determined, Kimberly took matters into her own hands and went to Family Court in New York. DNA tests confirmed what she already knew: Mike Tyson was the father.
With this legal acknowledgment, Mikey’s place in the family was solidified. Soon, the court ordered him to pay child support, which, according to NY DailyNews, was over $5000 a month.
Tyson’s slow but eventual acceptance of fatherhood not only gave Mikey her identity but also marked the beginning of his transformation into a more caring and involved dad.
Using Her Weight Issue For Her Advantage, She Became a Plus-Size Model/Designer
Mikey has taken her life’s challenges and turned them into a thriving career in the fashion industry. Today, she’s not just a successful plus-size model but also a budding designer.
Back in November 2016, Mikey’s modeling career hit a high note when she graced the cover of Queen Size Magazine. Her ambitions didn’t stop at modeling, she’s a designer as well.
Initially, we first got a glimpse into what she wants to do in the future through a 2007 interview, where she expressed her desire to turn her personal struggles with weight into a force for good by designing stylish clothing for plus-size girls.
And so she did. Upon graduating high school, she studied at the prestigious Parsons School of Design-The New School, where she honed her skills.
Today she stands proud as a successful designer. One of Mikey’s standout creations is her fabulous line of high-end leather shoes in sizes 11-15. She calls these beauties a perfect blend of style and practicality, finally giving plus-size women the chic footwear options they’ve been craving.
Drawing inspiration from her vibrant Harlem upbringing and the contrasting calm of her Maine boarding school, Mikey’s designs are a blend of urban flair and practical elegance.
Currently, she lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. She also goes by her other moniker nowadays, Miki Tee.
Her Current Relationship Status Is Ambiguous
In 2020, the world got a bizarre peek into Mikey Lorna Tyson’s love life, all thanks to a wild internet meme. The meme, which claimed that Mike would pay $10 million to anyone who married his daughter, spread like wildfire. Comedian Michael Blackson, thinking it was legit, decided to shoot his shot by sending Tyson an outrageous DM.
Blackson’s message was a mix of humor and audacity. He jokingly expressed his readiness to settle down and made a cheeky pitch to become Tyson’s son-in-law. But if Blackson thought he’d get a laugh out of Tyson, he was sorely mistaken.
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Mike’s response was nothing short of legendary. With the ferocity of his boxing days, he fired back, making it clear that the meme was bogus.
Listen u black little b*tch. This sh*t ain’t real and as soon as I find the person that started that meme, imma knock them the f*ck out… My daughter is happily in a relationship with a nice looking man so she’s not interested in an overcooked hotdog like you.
Through this fiery exchange, the public learned two things: the meme was a hoax, and Mikey was in a relationship and her dad described her boyfriend as a nice-looking man.
She Is Close to All of Her Half-Siblings
Lorna’s family dynamic is straight out of a vibrant, heartwarming sitcom, with each sibling adding their own unique spice to the mix. Starting on her mom’s side, she has two siblings, an older brother, Richard Clarke, and a younger sister, Christine, a graduate of Hampton University.
On her dad’s side, she has six younger siblings from her father’s three separate relationships.
- From Monica Turner, a sister, Rayna Tyson, born February 14, 1996, who is into acting and film production, and a brother Amir Tyson, born on August 5, 1997, who has steered away from the boxing world, opting instead for business and academics.
- From Sol Xochitl, one brother Miguel Leon Tyson, born on 18th April 2002, and one sister, Exodus Tyson, born in March 2005, who tragically passed away in 2009.
- From Lakiha ‘Kiki’ Spicer, two brothers Milan Tyson, born in December 2008, and Morocco Tyson, born in January 2011.
Together, these siblings from different mothers share a deep and complex bond. Mikey is close to all of them.
