In a follow-up to yesterday morning's news that the wife of former world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield had filed for a protective order against her husband, more details have come out about the case.
Candi Holyfield (who is 30 years old, not 47 as was mistakenly reported yesterday) claims that Evander hit her "several times" over a dispute about giving to the couple's church.
"He said that I was being disrespectful," 30-year-old Candi Holyfield said in a February 3 court filing. "He started telling me that I needed to start putting God first in my life."
According to court documents, the dispute started during the night and when Holyfield turned on the light and saw his wife's face he apologized.
It was unclear whether the incident resulted in a criminal investigation.
A magistrate judge signed a temporary order on February 3 barring Evander Holyfield from being within 500 yards of his wife and their two children, a 6-year-old boy and 5-year-old girl.
A court hearing is scheduled for February 18.
Candi Holyfield said in the protective order that her husband had struck her before, citing several incidents of physical abuse since 2008.
However, in a statement released Thursday through a publicist, Candi Holyfield praised her husband's character.
"Our current situation should in no way be considered a reflection of his character. I have been with this man for nine years and will be the first to say that he has many qualities and characteristics that I admire and respect," she said.
Make of that what you will, but if the woman is claiming "several incidents of physical abuse since 2008," then why shouldn't that be considered a reflection of his character? On the surface -- and without convicting Mr. Holyfield for something that is just an accusation right now -- that's some real psychiatrist's chair stuff, and not the kind that's hard for the regular folk to figure out, but the kind they talk about on all those HBO dramas about psychiatry.