On This Day

Robin Givens files for divorce after 8-month marriage to Mike Tyson

Robin Givens is an American actress and director. Givens played Darlene Merriman in the ABC sitcom Head of the Class in 1986, and remained on the series for its five year duration.

Robin Givens is an American actress and director. Givens played Darlene Merriman in the ABC sitcom Head of the Class in 1986, and remained on the series for its five year duration. Her troubled marriage to boxer Mike Tyson in 1988 drew considerable media attention, as did their acrimonious divorce. She later went on to become a spokesperson for the National Domestic Violence Hotline for several years.

Givens continued her career with film and television roles such as The Women of Brewster Place (1989) and Boomerang (1992). In 1996, Givens co-starred on the 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. In 2007, Givens released her autobiography, Grace Will Lead Me Home.

Historical Significance

Robin Givens is an American actress and director.

Key People

Robin Givens

stage, television, and film actress

American stage, television, and film actress

– present

Mike Tyson

Athlete

American boxer and media personality

– present

Events Before

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    60 bodies are recovered from the Dupont Plaza Hotel fire in Puerto Rico

  2. Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

    Aretha Louise Franklin ( ə-REE-thə; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist.

  3. Astronomers at the University of California witness the first observation of the birth of a galaxy

    Astronomers at the University of California witness the first observation of the birth of a galaxy

  4. Opera impresario Sir Rudolf Bing (85) weds Carroll Douglass (45); annulled in September, 1989

    Opera impresario Sir Rudolf Bing (85) weds Carroll Douglass (45); annulled in September, 1989

  5. Pennsylvania politician R. Budd Dwyer shoots and kills himself at a press conference on live national television, sparki

    Pennsylvania politician R. Budd Dwyer shoots and kills himself at a press conference on live national television, sparking debate about the boundaries of journalism

Events After

  1. Fall of the Berlin Wall

    The Berlin Wall falls as East Germany opens its borders, symbolizing the end of the Cold War and the beginning of German reunification.

  2. Year of the Young Reader begins

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  3. British comedy sketch series "A Bit of Fry and Laurie", starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, debuts on BBC1

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  4. Poland's communist government begins "Round Table" talks with the Solidarity trade union and its leader Lech Wałęsa in a

    Poland's communist government begins "Round Table" talks with the Solidarity trade union and its leader Lech Wałęsa in an attempt to ease growing social unrest

  5. NBA power forward Charles Barkley (26) weds legal aide Maureen Blumhardt in Elkton, Maryland

    NBA power forward Charles Barkley (26) weds legal aide Maureen Blumhardt in Elkton, Maryland

More from the 1980s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on October 7, 1988?
Robin Givens is an American actress and director. Givens played Darlene Merriman in the ABC sitcom Head of the Class in 1986, and remained on the series for its five year duration. Her troubled marriage to boxer Mike Tyson in 1988 drew considerable media attention, as did their acrimonious divorce.
Why is Robin Givens files for divorce after 8-month marriage to Mike Tyson significant?
Robin Givens is an American actress and director.
Who was involved in Robin Givens files for divorce after 8-month marriage to Mike Tyson?
Key figures include Robin Givens (stage, television, and film actress), Mike Tyson (Athlete).

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