Robin Givens

**Robin Simone Givens** is an American model, stage, film, and television actress. She began her acting career after graduating from Sarah Lawrence College in 1984. In 1986, she won the role of Darlene Merriman in the ABC sitcom *Head of the Class*. She remained with the series for its entire five-year run. After the series ended in 1991, she continued her career with film roles and guest-starring roles on television. She also has a recurring role as attorney and former mayor Sierra McCoy on *Riverdale* and its spin-off *Katy Keene*.

In 1996, Givens co-starred on the short-lived sitcom *Sparks*, which aired for two seasons on UPN. In January 2000, she took over hosting duties on the syndicated talk show *Forgive or Forget*. The show was cancelled four months later. Givens has since had recurring roles on *The Game*, *Tyler Perry's House of Payne*, and *Chuck*. In 2007, Givens released her autobiography, *Grace Will Lead Me Home*. Givens has been married and divorced twice. Her first marriage, to boxer Mike Tyson in 1988, drew considerable media attention, as did their divorce the following year. Her second marriage, to tennis instructor Svetozar Marinković in 1997, also lasted a year. In 1993, Givens adopted a son. In 2000, she gave birth to a second son fathered by her ex-boyfriend, tennis player Murphy Jensen.

## Early life

Givens was born in New York City, to Ruth Roper (née Newby) and Reuben Givens, who divorced when she was two. Her mother raised Givens and her sister Stephanie in Mount Vernon and New Rochelle, New York. Givens was raised Catholic. She graduated from New Rochelle Academy (a N–12 private school which closed in June 1987), and enrolled at Sarah Lawrence College at age 15. She graduated in 1984. She attended Harvard Medical School for two years, but did not graduate.

## Career

### **1980s-1990s**

Givens first began acting in 1985 with an appearance on *The Cosby Show*, followed by roles in *Diff'rent Strokes* and the 1986 television film *Beverly Hills Madam*, opposite Faye Dunaway. That same year, she landed her breakthrough role as rich girl Darlene Merriman on the ABC sitcom *Head of the Class*. The series lasted five seasons, ending in 1991. In 1989, while starring in *Head of the Class*, she appeared in *The Women of Brewster Place* with Oprah Winfrey. She later appeared in *Boomerang* (1992). In 1994, she posed nude for *Playboy* magazine and was ranked #88 on *Empire Magazine's 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History* list in May 1995. In 1996, Givens portrayed Claudia in the television movie *The Face* (also known as A Face to Die For) with Yasmine Bleeth. Later that year, she co-starred in the UPN sitcom *Sparks*, which series ended its run in 1998. She also played Denise in *The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air*.

### **2000s–2010s**

In January 2000, Givens appeared in a cameo in Toni Braxton's music video "He Wasn't Man Enough", as the wife of a cheating husband. She returned to the entertainment industry later that year as the host of the talk show *Forgive or Forget*, replacing television personality Mother Love halfway through the show's second season. Ratings initially increased after Givens took over hosting duties, but soon fell. The series was canceled after this season.

In 2006, Givens attempted a return to television on MyNetworkTV's telenovela *Saints and Sinners*, but the show garnered low ratings and was soon canceled. Givens continued acting in made-for-television films while also making appearances on Trinity Broadcasting Network's *Praise the Lord* program (July 12, 2007), and *Larry King Live*. In June 2007, she released her autobiography Grace Will Lead Me Home. Givens returned to feature films in Tyler Perry's Southern drama *The Family That Preys* (2008). She also had a recurring role portraying a fictionalized version of herself on the CW comedy-drama *The Game*. Additionally, she has had a recurring role on the TBS show *Tyler Perry's House of Payne*, and a guest role on USA Network's *Burn Notice*. In addition to television and film roles, Givens has performed onstage. In 2001, she appeared in an Off Broadway production of *The Vagina Monologues*. From February to April 16, 2006, she played the role of Roxie Hart in the Broadway play *Chicago*. In 2007, she toured the country playing a part in the I'm Ready Productions play *Men, Money & Golddiggers*. Givens starred in the 2009 stage play *A Mother's Prayer*, which also starred Johnny Gill, Shirley Murdock, and Jermaine Crawford.

In 2007, Givens published a memoir entitled *Grace Will Lead Me Home*. In it, she reflects on the life of her praying grandmother, Grace, her experiences of domestic violence, her strong will to survive, feeling abandoned by her father, and her faith in God.[15] In 2011, she guest-starred in three episodes of NBC's spy-comedy *Chuck*: "Chuck Versus the Masquerade", "Chuck Versus the A-Team", and "Chuck Versus the Muuurder", as Jane Bentley. 2015 starred along Clifton Powell, Mishon Ratliff and Malachi Malik in the segment *Mama's Boy* of TV One's anthology romance horror film *Fear Files*.

## Personal life

After meeting in March 1986, Givens married boxer Mike Tyson on February 7, 1988. Tyson was then estimated to have US$50 million, and Givens and he did not make a prenuptial agreement. During their marriage, Givens and her mother bought a $4.6 million mansion in the affluent suburb of Bernardsville, New Jersey.

After a miscarriage in May 1988, the marriage began to fall apart. In a joint interview with Tyson on *20/20*, Givens told Barbara Walters that life with him was "torture, pure hell, worse than anything I could possibly imagine," and she went on to describe his volatile temper. In October 1988, Givens filed for divorce and was granted a temporary restraining order. Her attorney, Marvin Mitchelson, said, "She loves Michael Tyson, but there is continued violence, and she fears for her safety." Givens alleged spousal abuse, while Tyson alleged alienation and interest in his money, not in him. The divorce was finalized on Valentine's Day in 1989. Newspapers reported that Givens received a divorce settlement over $10 million from her marriage to Tyson. She later denied the report, stating: "I didn’t receive one dime". She received negative press following her split from Tyson, particularly within the African American community. One article, in particular, described her as "the most hated woman in America". Tyson later admitted in the book *Fire and Fear: The Inside Story of Mike Tyson*, that he punched Givens and stated, "that was the best punch I've ever thrown in my entire life." Tyson also joked about assaulting Givens on Oprah in 2009, which caused laughter in the audience. Winfrey later issued an apology to Givens.

In 1993, Givens adopted her first son, Michael. In 1997, she married her tennis instructor, Svetozar Marinković; Givens filed for divorce months later. In 1999, she had a second son, William, with ex-boyfriend, Murphy Jensen. She briefly dated radio host Howard Stern in 2000.

## Legal issues

In January 2004, Givens critically injured an 89-year-old pedestrian, Maria Antonia Alcover, while driving an SUV through a Miami, Florida intersection. Givens was ticketed for failing to use due care with a pedestrian in a crosswalk, but the charges were later dismissed. In June 2004, Alcover filed a civil lawsuit against Givens and her sister (the owner of the SUV Givens was driving) for an unknown amount.

A May 7, 2009, article in *Forbes* magazine reported that the Internal Revenue Service was suing Givens for unpaid federal income taxes totaling $292,000 ($348,000 in present day USD when adjusted for inflation), an amount which included interest and penalties. The government had asked a federal court in Florida for a judgment against her on 39 assessments covering a span of eight years.

## Trivia

* Robin's father, Reuben, abandoned her family when she was a young girl and she seldom saw him after that.
* Was separated from her tennis instructor husband, Svetozar Marinkovic, after the day they married. Filed for divorce 19 December 1997 citing irreconcilable differences.
* Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1991" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 43."
* Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#88). [1995]
* Replaced Mother Love as hostess for the series Forgive or Forget (1998) (as of 17 January 2000)
* 28 January 2004 - Accidentally struck an 89-year old woman with her SUV in Miami. The woman was admitted to the hospital with unknown injuries.
* Was a classmate of Holly Robinson Peete at Sarah Lawrence College.
* Suffered from depression.
* Miscarried her future 1st child with her now ex-1st husband Mike Tyson. [May 1988]
* Adopted her 1st child as a single mother, a son Michael Givens (b.1992). [1993]
* Gave birth to her 2nd child at age 34, a son William Givens Jensen in October 1999. Child's father is her now ex-boyfriend, Murphy Jensen.
* Release of her book, "Grace Will Lead Me Home". [2007]
* Credits Howard Hesseman as her favorite acting mentor/best friend.