Floyd Mayweather's Ex-GF Josie Harris Found Dead
On the evening of March 10, 2020, Floyd Mayweather's ex-girlfriend, Josie Harris — who has three children with the boxer – was found dead at her home in Valencia, Calif., per TMZ. The outlet reports that officials were called to Harris' home around 9:30 p.m. Upon arrival, they found the 40-year-old "unresponsive in her car." Officials announced Harris dead at the scene. Despite the unusual situation, officials do not expect foul play. TMZ noted that the case "is being treated as a death investigation as opposed to a homicide probe."
Harris and Mayweather reportedly dated from 1995 until 2010 and share sons, Koraun and Zion, and a daughter, Jirah, according to The Blast. In addition to being a mother, Harris was also an aspiring actress. According to Hollywood Life, she had a brief part in the film Exit 38 and some small parts on episodes of Starter Wives Confidential and Good Day L.A. She was also in the process of writing a book on domestic abuse based on her relationship with Mayweather.
Floyd Mayweather and his ex had a volatile relationship
In 2010, Floyd Mayweather was convicted of attacking Josie Harris and served "2 months behind bars," according to TMZ. Although the 2010 incident was the one that sent Mayweather to jail, Harris claimed that he attacked her six times. The incriminating event occurred when he allegedly went into Harris' Las Vegas home and hit her in front of their children.
According to USA Today, "Mayweather entered Harris' home as she slept, yanked her to the floor by her hair, then punched and kicked and screamed cuss words at her in front of their children." As Harris reported after, their son Koraun crept out of the house and found a security guard, whom he asked to call the police on behalf of his mother.
In a later interview with Katie Couric, Mayweather claimed that he didn't attack Harris. Rather, he said he was restraining her because she was on drugs. According to TMZ, Mayweather said: "Did I restrain a woman that was on drugs? Yes, I did. So if they say that's domestic violence, then, you know what? I'm guilty. I'm guilty of restraining someone." According to The Blast, Mayweather was "trying to change his public image following his arrest," hence his decision to participate in the interview with Couric.
Following the interview, Harris responded to Mayweather's drug accusations with a $20 million lawsuit for defamation back in 2015, per The Blast. After a legal battle spanning years, according to documents obtained by the outlet, a trial date was set for Dec. 7, 2020.
Josie Harris dedicated herself to helping other survivors of domestic abuse
When Josie Harris and Floyd Mayweather split up in 2010, their children commuted between the former couple's residencies through a jet service that Mayweather used when he left Las Vegas, according to USA Today Sports. The arrangement ensured that the two rarely saw each other. In the years following their split, Harris spoke about her extreme anxiety around her ex saying, "For some reason I still get anxiety when I know that he is on his way. I have no idea why, but I get really overwhelmed when I know that I have to be around him," she told USA Today Sports in November 2014.
Because of her history with Mayweather, Harris decided to immerse herself in a book project for other survivors of domestic abuse. According to USA Today Sports, Harris revealed, "I was a battered woman. I felt embarrassed about saying I was a battered woman. I felt shame. I felt like it was my fault. What did I do? I didn't understand what a battered woman was at that time. Now I know I was in a very dysfunctional, hostile relationship and a victim of domestic violence."
Josie Harris wasn't the only one of Floyd Mayweather's exes to encounter his violent side
While Josie Harris was the most vocal, she is not the only woman who had a violent history with Floyd Mayweather. Shantel Jackson, Mayweather's former fiancée, claimed that she was kept in Mayweather's house under extreme surveillance. As per USA Today Sports, Shantel said she could only leave if she was accompanied by one of his staff and that he monitored her phone. According to the outlet, Shantel "filed a civil lawsuit including claims of battery, false imprisonment and allegations that the fighter pointed a gun at her."
Oddly enough, Mayweather was actually dating Jackson when he heard rumors that Harris was communicating with another man, which allegedly was the catalyst for him entering her house and beating her. However, despite the dark parts of their history, Harris still had kind things to say about Mayweather telling USA Today Sports, "I hope his lessons aren't too harsh as he does have a good heart."
At the time of this writing, Mayweather has not yet commented on Harris' death. According to The Blast, the boxer is currently in Europe and it's unclear when he will return to the United States.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233 or TTY 1−800−787−3224. You can also find more information, resources, and support at www.thehotline.org.