Evander Holyfield Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Personal life== {{BLP sources|Personal life section|date=November 2022}} [[File:Evander Holyfield 2010 Indy 500 Pole Day.JPG|thumb|Holyfield at the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]] in 2010]] [[File:Evander Holyfield and Karyn Marshall at the Association of Oldtime Barbell & Strongmen Reunion cropped.jpg|thumb|right|Holyfield with Olympic weightlifting champion [[Karyn Marshall]] at a ceremony honoring him in 2016]] Holyfield is the younger brother of actor and dancer, Bernard Holyfield, and currently lives and trains in [[Fayette County, Georgia|Fayette County]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. One of his sons, [[Evan Holyfield|Evan]], followed in his father's footsteps and became a professional boxer.<ref>{{cite web|last=Campbell|first=Brian|date=November 3, 2019|title=WATCH: Evander Holyfield's son delivers powerful TKO just 16 seconds into pro boxing debut|url=https://www.cbssports.com/boxing/news/watch-evander-holyfields-son-delivers-powerful-tko-just-16-seconds-into-pro-boxing-debut/amp/|access-date=May 12, 2021|website=[[CBS Sports]]}}</ref> Another son, [[Elijah Holyfield|Elijah]], plays football for the [[Cincinnati Bengals]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/elijah-holyfield-son-evander-holyfield-commits-uga/nnYRC/|title=Elijah Holyfield, son of Evander Holyfield, commits to UGA|website=www.wsbtv.com|access-date=December 11, 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905143517/http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/elijah-holyfield-son-evander-holyfield-commits-uga/nnYRC/|archive-date=September 5, 2015}}</ref> He is a [[Born again Christianity|born-again Christian]]. He founded [[Real Deal Records]] which signed the briefly successful group Exhale. In late 2007 and early 2008, Holyfield was among a number of celebrities to be doing television ads for the restaurant chain [[Zaxby's]]. In 2017, a [[statue of Evander Holyfield]] designed by sculptor [[Brian Hanlon]] was commissioned by the city of Atlanta for installation in [[Downtown Atlanta]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Keenan|first=Sean Richard|date=April 4, 2019|title=Whatever happened to the Evander Holyfield statue planned for downtown Atlanta?|url=https://atlanta.curbed.com/2019/4/4/18294241/downtown-woodruff-park-evander-holyfield-statue|access-date=December 25, 2020|website=[[Curbed Atlanta]]|publisher=[[Vox Media]]|language=en}}</ref> ===Advertising=== By 1992, Holyfield was already a household name, endorsing multiple products on television, such as [[Coca-Cola]] and [[Diet Coke]]. He also had a [[video game]] released for the [[Sega Genesis|Genesis]] and [[Game Gear]]: ''[[Evander Holyfield's Real Deal Boxing]]''. In 1996 Holyfield was given the opportunity to carry the [[Olympic torch]] when it was on its way to his hometown of Atlanta for that year's Olympics. On September 22, 2007, Holyfield released the Real Deal Grill cooking appliance via TV infomercials. The Real Deal Grill is manufactured by Cirtran Corp. ===Celebrity appearances=== Holyfield's popularity has led to numerous television appearances for the boxer. His first television show appearance was the Christmas special of the ''[[Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]'' in 1990, playing himself. Holyfield had minor roles in three movies during the 1990s, ''[[Summer of Sam]]'', ''[[Necessary Roughness (film)|Necessary Roughness]]'', and ''Blood Salvage'' (which he also produced). He made a guest appearance on [[Nickelodeon (TV Channel)|Nickelodeon's]] ''[[Nickelodeon GUTS]]'' during its third season in 1994. He appeared once in an episode of children animated series ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]''. In the episode, he is an animated character but the producers wanted to make the most of Holyfield's ear, so his animated character was only given half an ear. In 2005, Holyfield came in fifth place on ABC's ''[[Dancing with the Stars (U.S. TV series)|Dancing with the Stars]]'' with his partner [[Edyta Sliwinska]]. He also made an appearance on the original BBC [[Strictly Come Dancing]] "Champion of Champions" showdown, which featured the final four teams from the 2005 edition of the British series, plus two celebrities from spinoff versions, paired with British professional dancers, one featuring Holyfield paired with Karen Hardy, and Rachel Hunter paired with Brendan Cole. On August 13, 2007, Holyfield was confirmed to participate in a boxing match at [[World Wrestling Entertainment]]'s ''[[Saturday Night's Main Event XXXV]]'' against [[Matt Hardy]]. He replaced [[Montel Vontavious Porter]], who had to pull out after being legitimately diagnosed with a heart condition that was not part of a storyline. Holyfield appeared as himself in the 2011 [[Arthur (2011 film)|remake]] of ''[[Arthur (1981 film)|Arthur]]''. On January 3, 2014, Holyfield became the 12th housemate to enter the [[Celebrity Big Brother (British series 13)|13th series]] of ''[[Celebrity Big Brother (British TV series)|Celebrity Big Brother (UK)]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Walker |first=Danny |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/who-gone-celebrity-big-brother-2984995 |title=Who has gone into the Celebrity Big Brother house? CBB housemates revealed |publisher=mirror.co.uk |access-date=January 6, 2014}}</ref> On January 6, 2014, he was reprimanded by the show after saying in a conversation with another housemate that gayness is abnormal and can be fixed.<ref>{{cite news|author=Neil Lancefield |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/celebrity-big-brother-evander-holyfield-cautioned-over-gay-aint-normal-remarks-9040932.html |title=Celebrity Big Brother 2014: Evander Holyfield cautioned over 'gay ain't normal' remarks |newspaper=The Independent |access-date=January 6, 2014}}</ref> On January 10, 2014, he became the first housemate to be evicted. In 2015, Evander Holyfield and [[Mitt Romney]] participated in a friendly bout for charity; the event took place in Utah to help the organization CharityVision<ref>AP '' 'Sting like a butterfly': Holifield jabs Romeny for charity'' 2015 May 16 [https://abc13.com/mitt-romney-evander-holyfield-fight-boxing-match/726257/] Retrieved 2021 January 3.</ref> In May 2016, Holyfield entered the Argentine dancing reality show ''[[Bailando 2016]]''.<ref>[http://www.infobae.com/2016/05/30/1815028-las-30-fotos-oficiales-del-bailando-2016 The 30 official pictures of "Bailando 2016"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603180807/http://www.infobae.com/2016/05/30/1815028-las-30-fotos-oficiales-del-bailando-2016 |date=2016-06-03 }} {{in lang|es}}</ref> ===Financial difficulties=== In June 2008 a legal notice was placed by [[Washington Mutual Bank]] stating that Holyfield's $10 million, {{convert|54000|sqft|m2|adj=on}}, 109-room, 17-bathroom suburban Atlanta estate would be auctioned off on July 1, 2008, due to [[foreclosure]], shortly before that bank's insolvency. Rapper [[Rick Ross]] ended up acquiring the house. Adding to his financial problems, Toi Irvin, mother of his then 10-year-old son, filed suit for non-payment of two months child support (he was paying $3,000 per month for this child). A Utah landscaping firm also went to court seeking $550,000 in unpaid debt for services. His fortune was drained by frivolous spending, multiple failed business ventures, constant child support payments, and his three divorces, among other things.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2008/06/05/holyfield-finances.html | work=CBC News | title=Evander Holyfield's mansion under foreclosure | date=June 6, 2008}}</ref> In 2012 ''[[The Independent]]'' described Holyfield as "flat broke and bankrupt" despite having earned Β£350 million (US$513 million) over his boxing career.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hubbard |first=Alan |date=13 October 2012 |title=Boxing: Holyfield's life goes under the hammer |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/boxing-holyfields-life-goes-under-the-hammer-8210385.html |newspaper=Independent |access-date=20 June 2016 }}</ref> As of 2019, Holyfield was earning about $1.2 million a year, mostly through personal appearances.<ref>[https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/combat-sports/117488748/where-did-312-million-go-boxing-champ-evander-holyfield-on-his-lost-fortune "Where did $312 million go? Boxing champ Evander Holyfield on his lost fortune"]. November 17, 2019.</ref> ===Allegations of steroid and HGH use=== On February 28, 2007, Holyfield was anonymously linked to Applied Pharmacy Services, a pharmacy in Alabama that was under investigation for supplying athletes with illegal steroids and [[Growth hormone|human growth hormone]] (HGH). He denied ever using performance enhancers.<ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2782741 "Report: Athletes received illegal 'roids via online ring"]. Sports.espn.go.com (March 1, 2007). Retrieved on October 3, 2011.</ref> Holyfield's name does not appear in the law enforcement documents reviewed. However, a patient by the name of "Evan Fields" caught investigators' attention. "Fields" shares the same birth date as Holyfield, October 19, 1962. The listed address for "Fields" was 794 Evander, Fairfield, Ga. 30213. Holyfield has a very similar address. When the phone number that, according to the documents, was associated with the "Fields" prescription, was dialed, Holyfield answered.<ref>[http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/02/28/holyfield/index.html "Holyfield allegedly received steroids, HGH via alias"]. Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Retrieved on October 3, 2011.</ref> On March 10, 2007, Holyfield made a public announcement that he would be pursuing his own investigation into the steroid claims in order to clear his name.<ref>[http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2007/03/10/SPGDLOJ2I71.DTL "Holyfield plans own steroid investigation"]. Sfgate.com (March 10, 2007). Retrieved on October 3, 2011.</ref> Holyfield was again linked to HGH in September 2007, when his name came up following a raid of Signature Pharmacy in Orlando, Florida.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://sports.yahoo.com/top/news;_ylt=AhFXvhYR2e4XComsoKzuJjA5nYcB?slug=jo-steroids092407&prov=yhoo&type=lgns | title='Roid raids | date=24 September 2007 }}</ref> Signature Pharmacy was under investigation for illegally supplying several professional athletes with steroids and HGH.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2007/09/10/2007-09-10_baltimores_gibbons_got_drugs_from_signat.html? | location=New York | work=Daily News | title=Baltimore's Gibbons got drugs from Signature Pharmacy | date=September 10, 2007 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070915111758/http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2007/09/10/2007-09-10_baltimores_gibbons_got_drugs_from_signat.html | archive-date=2007-09-15 | access-date=2007-09-24 }}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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