Deontay Wilder Sued by Ex-Fiancée’s Son Over Alleged Abuse, Boxer Denies Claims
Deontay Wilder Accused of Beating Ex-Fiancée’s Son For Years ... Boxer Denies Claims
UPDATE
4/3 6:38 PM PT -- The law firm representing Kerron Swift, The X-Law Group P.C., released a statement to TMZ Sports Friday afternoon … denying the claim from Wilder’s attorney that the filing of this suit had anything to do with his scheduled fight tomorrow.
“This firm made repeated attempts over several weeks to reach Mr. Wilder's legal counsel — including Mr. Patterson — before filing this action. Those efforts went unanswered. Filing was not our first choice. It was our last. The statute of limitations in this matter expires on April 20, 2025. After weeks of silence from the other side, despite repeated follow-ups, we had no legal alternative but to file in order to protect our client's rights."
“If the timing of this lawsuit is ‘suspicious,’ as Mr. Patterson claims, the explanation is simple: his own failure to respond forced our hand.”
They also noted that they “filed this action quietly and without a press release — the opposite of what we would have done if the intent were to generate publicity.”
“This case is not about boxing. It is not about public image or fight week. It is about the physical abuse of a child over a sustained period of time. Our client deserves to have that heard, and we intend to see that it is.”
Deontay Wilder was just hit with explosive allegations outside the ring … with a new lawsuit accusing the former heavyweight champ of repeatedly beating a minor over several years ... but the boxer's attorney is calling the claims not only untrue, but "suspicious."
TMZ Sports has obtained court documents where Wilder is accused by Kerron Swift -- son of his ex-fiancée Telli Swift -- of brutally attacking him while he was living under the Bronze Bomber's roof as a kid.
Swift alleges the abuse stretched from around 2016 through 2024 … and paints a disturbing picture of life inside the household.
During one alleged incident, Swift says Wilder slapped him so hard inside a car that his head smashed into the interior, leaving him dazed -- he was just 13 at the time.
Another claim centers on a 2019 beating … where Swift says Wilder whipped him with a belt, leaving visible bruises across his body.
But the most chilling allegation comes from a 2022 encounter. Swift, who was 16 at the time, claims Wilder grabbed him by the throat, lifted him off his feet, slammed him against a wall and hurled him onto a table "like a ragdoll."
Swift says he genuinely believed he was going to die.
He also said his mother photographed contusions and abrasions covering his neck and throat after Wilder left the scene.
The lawsuit leans into Wilder’s own public persona, too … pointing to past comments about wanting “a body” on his record as evidence of a violent mindset.
“I beat him to an inch of his life the first time," Wilder is quoted in the lawsuit as saying about a boxing opponent. "This time, I’ma END his life. I want a body on my record anyway. I wanna put a body there.”
Wilder -- one of the most feared punchers in boxing history -- is a former WBC heavyweight champion who held the belt from 2015-20 and an Olympic bronze medalist known for devastating knockout power. He has more than 40 career wins and one of the highest KO rates in boxing history.
Swift is now suing him for a laundry list of claims -- including battery, assault, emotional distress, and false imprisonment -- and is seeking damages to be determined at trial. He claims to have suffered physical injuries and long-term emotional trauma.
He’s also demanding a jury hear the case.
Wilder's attorney, Paul Patterson, denies the claims ... telling TMZ Sports they look forward to defending the case.
"This is obviously an attempt to smear the good name of Deontay Wilder in pursuit of personal gain. Deontay Wilder is known as a loving and caring father who has never physically disciplined any child of his own or anyone else."
“The timing of this lawsuit is suspicious since Mr. Wilder fights in less than 48 hours.”
Wilder is currently in London preparing to fight Derek Chisora on Saturday.