Championship boxer Gervonta Davis has been arrested and charged with battery after a viral video showed him getting physical with Andretta “Dretta” Smothers, the mother of his daughter.
In the video, Dretta can be seen sitting at a celebrity basketball game during Super Bowl weekend in Miami, Florida. Gervonta immediately walked up to her and grabbed her out of her chair by her shirt. As he is still holding her by her shirt, he forcibly pushes her out of the arena, as his bodyguard follows.
After video of the incident went viral, Gervonta took to Instagram to address it.
“I never once hit her,” the 25-year-old wrote on his IG story. “Yeah I was aggressive and told her come on. That’s the mother of my child. I would never hurt her.” Dretta has remained quiet about the incident so far.
Coral Gables Police say Gervonta has turned himself in today (Feb. 4). He’s been charged with simple battery and domestic violence.
This recent news is shocking to fans, as Gervonta was hailed as a Baltimore success story since he turned his life around and became a successful boxer. The City of Baltimore threw him a parade back in October to celebrate his win against Ricardo Núñez. He was also recently given the key to the city by Mayor Jack Young.
The boxer previously said that his daughter changed his life for the better.
“My daughter has changed me,” he said. “She has made me grow up quicker because I don’t just have a kid, I have a baby girl. She has made me more patient. I am actually soft when I get around her. I don’t think she changed me as a fighter, but she has changed me as a person. She has helped me mature.”
There’s no word on how this incident will affect his future in boxing.