‘I Was Raped At 13’

Legendary boxer Oscar De La Hoya opens up being raped at a young age.

Oscar De La Hoya opens up about a deeply traumatic experience in his life.

De La Hoya, 48, is an Olympic gold medalist boxer who captured 11 world boxing titles in six weight classes, including the lineal championship in three weight classes. “The Golden Boy” peeled back the curtain on a terrible moment in his adolescence.

“I was raped at 13, from a woman, an older woman. Thirteen, lost my virginity over being, you know, being raped, basically,” De La Hoya told the LA Times. “I was in Hawaii, I think, at some tournament. She was over 35.

“You suppress everything,” he continued. “You’re living this life, the Golden Boy, but, oh sh*t, wait, that’s still there. Like I never, like, thought about it, I never processed it, I never really thought how my feelings are… until one day it just comes out, and you don’t know how to deal with it.”

The all-time great boxer said the emotional baggage had weighed on him for a long time, and he finally felt compelled to speak publicly about it.

De La Hoya (39-6 in boxing) is currently preparing for a one-fight comeback against former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort (26-14 in MMA, 1-0 in boxing). The two will headline a Triller boxing match taking place on Sept. 11.

---

Click here for more of the latest news.