Miss Black Rhode Island, Desiree Washington, became a popular name in the print media back in the year 1991 when she accused the world heavyweight boxing champion, Mike Tyson, of raping her. The latter recently opened up about the incident in the ABC’s Mike Tyson: Knockout Documentary and her name has been in news ever since.
Who was Desiree Washington and What Happened with Her?
Washington represented her native state, Rhode Island, in the Miss Black America Pageant took place in 1991. According to her, Tyson invited her into his room at the Canterbury Hotel where she was raped and assaulted on the 19th of July, 1991. She later checked into the emergency room of the hospital and told the physician about her rape.
The whole incident was reported by several reputed newspapers. Los Angeles Times highlighted that the former model punched the heavyweight champion and tried to defend herself, but in vain. Tyson’s chauffeur, Virginia Foster, corroborated her testimony and revealed how Washington was in a state of utmost shock after the unfortunate incident.
She was examined by the physician for over 24 hours after the incident, who later confirmed that the physical condition of her genitals was consistent with rape.
Tyson, however, denied all the charges and backed himself by saying that everything was done with Washington’s full consent. Hence the incident, in no way, can be termed as rape. The court found him guilty, and he was sentenced to imprisonment for six years. He was fortunate to serve less than three years of the sentence and was placed on parole in the context of good behavior.
Over two decades have been passed since the incident took place. However, Tyson still denies all the claims made by the model.
Where is Desiree Washington Now?
The incident brought her under a lot of limelight. To pen down her words, the whole episode affected her mental health and put herself and her family under intense trauma. After this, the former model gave a cold shoulder to the limelight, and today she seems to be enjoying her low-key life.
The incident made her a scapegoat as she received backlash from a lot of people, including Tyson’s fans as well as the media. Following this, Washington decided to appear in an interview with Barbara Walter in the year 1992. During the interview, she spoke her heart out and revealed how the incident changed her completely and how she turned from being a jovial outgoing female to someone who would sit inside her room all day. What caught a lot of attention during the interview was when she revealed how she was offered $1 million to take back the case.
Quick Facts about Desiree Washington
- The whole event and court case not only took a toll on Washington’s life but on her parents’ life as well. Consequently, her parents divorced. Even her siblings had to go through times in their school.
- Before the incident took place, she aimed to become either a politician or an attorney.
- As of 2021, the total net worth of Washington is claimed at $650,000
Stay tuned for more sensational updates!
In my considered opinion this lady was of the duplicitous type and I tend to align with Tyson’s [consensual] version of the incident because of the foregoing.
For someone who was “traumatized” following a “vicious rape”, she however conveniently went, relaxed, and fully took part in the pageant, bringing up the “rape” charges later [as almost an afterthought] following the conclusion of the beauty pageant for which [if my memory serves me right] she didn’t go too far. This young woman was looking for a cheap publicity for an association with a famous prizefighter in the person of Mike Tyson who was then not a champion [as you erroneously claimed] but everybody knew that he would regain his title in no time.
For her parents to divorce rather than to pull together bespeaks of the kind of a dysfunctional family theirs could have been, in the first instance. ’nuff said.
Jesus, did you read the article:
“Tyson’s chauffeur, Virginia Foster, corroborated her testimony and revealed how Washington was in a state of utmost shock after the unfortunate incident.”
“She was examined by the physician for over 24 hours after the incident, who later confirmed that the physical condition of her genitals was consistent with rape.”
“The court found him guilty, and he was sentenced to imprisonment for six years.”
It doesn’t matter if he thinks it’s not rape.
I mean, how badly must a guy rape a woman for you to actually believe her?
Nuff said. I agree.
Wow. I didn’t think that in this day and age anyone would bring up the “cheap publicity” argument.
I remember this case very well and remember seeing a clip from the pageant how she said she would love to be the first female black president. Her goal was law or politics and yet people were so ready to believe she would put herself and her family through the trauma of a rape trial to get some “publicity”. Yeah “the girl who was raped by Mike Tyson” is a trophy that most young women aspire to right? 🙄
Proving rape in a court case is not an easy thing to do and you can be sure Mike Tyson had the best legal representation. And yet he was found guilty.
Sadly, I think people were more outraged by his violent behavior when he bit a fellow boxer’s ear. Note how Tyson’s ex wife’s was vilified for citing violence in their marriage. See a pattern? It’s called misogyny.
He paid his debt to society by doing part of the sentence, but I think it’s a shame he was able to regain his celebrity status after this.
Marriages often break up after traumatic events. That’s not a sign of dysfunction- that’s just a normal statistic. Guess her siblings getting harassed is also a sign of their dysfunction right?
It’s a sad thing when there are still elements of our society who value a male athlete more than justice or their young women.
Being relaxed after a so called rape is not possible, her first sentence to him should have been NO…. not that she isn’t a one night stand… rape is hard to bounce back from , going thru with the pagent would have never happened .. therapy sessions and everything. And im speaking from experience. Her demeanor and inconsistent stories told to friends screams lies
Everyone responds to r*pe differently and you don’t get to decide the right way for anyone to deal with THEIR trauma!!
After hearing that the Judge withheld pertinant evidence that would have exonerated Mike Tyson. Tyson was guilty of having a big mouth which is not a crime. I heard that Desire had done this with another man in HS and that he came forward but the Judge would not let him testify. He had a horrible lawyer who let him testify at the Grand Jury. (In California a criminal defendant is not allowed to testify at a probable cause hearing. Usually only the police testify.) For the longest time, I had Tyson as being guilty. Then I got arrested for annoying phone calls which was trumped up to all kinds of threat charges which are felonies. I reported the county I live in to the DOJ for a rail roading incident. When listened to an investigative reporter, I felt bad after hearing the evidence that was withheld by the Judge because Desire had victims rights. I agree there should be victims rights, but I also think that there is a level of crime (Serious versus random misdemeanors) and I also think that if you are caught abusing the system that there should be consequences. I had people file false reports against me because the cool thing to do is to file a restraining order or be a victim.
The witness that was with held went to HS with Desire and went to the prom. Allegedly, they had sex and her father was threatening the guy with rap charges over it. Also there were female witnesses that said she talking about something to do with him having money, and again because she was a victim, the Judge would not allow them to testify about it. His lawyer was some guy who defended Don King on fraud charges. He had no experience with rape cases. Mike Tyson did not hire a dream team and was not given a fair trial. (Who is, except OJ???????) I am not a fan of rapist, but I don’t think Tyson is one after listening to the whole story. Don King screwed him over in many ways.
Tyson was a pig of a human back then and is the first to admit that. Why he can’t admit to the rape he was convicted for says more about the damaged childhood he came from more than the victim’s behaviour at the time. I was a fanatic of Tyson the boxer and still am. But I can separate the boxer from Tyson the man.
And now Tyson the human has risen from the ashes back to celebrity status again, I’m happy for him and upset for Desiree Washington and hopefully she has found her peace.
He was a pig back then (Or just really immature.) but that doesn’t make him guilty of rape. Why would the judge not allow certain evidence which is exculpatory evidence (Brady Rule) be admitted at trial when it was favorable to the defense which it was