Ali’s women and a fractured family

HE’LL be remembered for a lot of things -his boxing, his philanthropy and his commitment to civil rights.
But less known about is his private life and the children he fathered across the country.
Ali, formerly Cassius Clay, was reputed to be a ‘serial adulterer who loved the attention of women’, and the charismatic boxer leaves a private life wrought with jealousy and bitterness, MailOnline reports.
Some of his wives and children have fared better than others, like fourth wife Yolanda Williams and daughter Laila Ali. Others, like son Muhammad Ali, Jr, are estranged.
Ali married his first wife, cocktail waitress Sonji Roi, in 1964, one month after they met.
Roi’s refusal to follow certain Muslim customs ultimately led to the breakup of their marriage and they divorced in January 1966.
He quickly met Belinda Boyd, who was only 15 at the time, and they married in 1967.
She had been working at a bakery in Los Angeles run by the Nation of Islam when he met her.
Like Ali, Belinda eventually converted to Islam and changed her name to Khalilah Ali.
The couple had four children, Maryum, Jamillah and Rasheda and Muhammad Ali, Jr. before divorcing in 1977.
Ali’s only son, Muhammed Jr, said he was neglected by his father as a child and was reportedly badly bullied by boys wanting to beat up a champion’s son.
He is said to be living with his wife and two infant daughters in one of Chicago’s most notorious ghettos for drug-dealers and gangsters.
Belinda is now said to be in the process of publishing a tell-all book about their years together, according to MailOnline.
While still married to Belinda and engaging in illicit relationships with other women Ali met Veronica Porsche, an actress and model.
By 1977, his marriage to Belinda was over and he had married Porsche. They had two daughters, Hana and Laila Ali and nine years later, Ali and Porsche divorced.
In November 1986, Ali married Yolanda, who had been his friend since 1964. They had one son, Assad Amin, who they adopted when he was five months old.
As his condition deteriorated, following his diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease, Ali became totally dependent on Lonnie and his sister, Marilyn.
Regardless of the storm he leaves behind though, Muhammad Ali will essentially be remembered for his talent.