Josie Harris: Ex-girlfriend of Floyd Mayweather & mother of 3 of boxing star's children found dead in car in California - reports
Josie Harris, the 40-year-old mother of three of Floyd Mayweather's children, has been found dead at her home in Valencia, California, per reports emerging from US media.
According to TMZ Sports, local authorities were called to Harris' home at around 9.30pm local time on Tuesday where they found her unresponsive in a car. She was pronounced dead at the scene shortly thereafter.
She dated Mayweather between 1995 and 2010 and the pair have three children together: Koraun, Zion and Jirah.
Initial reports suggest that foul play isn't being identified as a possible cause of Harris' death, and the investigation is being handled as a death investigation rather than as a homicide probe.
The LA County Sheriff’s Department confirms an active death investigation at the home of Josie Harris, the mother of three of Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s children, following a TMZ report that Harris, 40, was found dead inside her car last night, around 10 pm Pacific.
— Lance Pugmire (@pugboxing) March 11, 2020
Mayweather and Harris had a fiery relationship. The undefeated boxer was convicted of domestic violence in relation to an incident involving Harris in 2010 and would serve two months behind bars in county jail and was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, attend a 12-month domestic violence program and pay a fine of $2,500.
Harris claims she was abused on several occasions but the conviction stems from a September 2010 incident in which she said Mayweather attacked her in front of her children.
#ThrowBackThursday@FloydMayweather and @JOSIELHARRIS in Biloxi Mississippi I was about 17 he was 20 :) pic.twitter.com/mtQEYDre
— Josie L. Harris (@JOSIELHARRIS) May 18, 2012
Mayweather denied the allegations later in an interview with Katie Couric, in which he said: "Did I restrain a woman that was on drugs? Yes, I did. So if they say that’s domestic violence, then, you know what? I’m guilty. I’m guilty of restraining someone."
Harris would launch a lawsuit against Mayweather for those comments, demanding $20 million in damages for defamation. The case remains on-going.
It is understood that Harris and Mayweather didn't have much communication in recent years, except for situations in which Mayweather would arrive to collect their children.
"For some reason I still get anxiety when I know that he is on his way. I have no idea why, but I get really overwhelmed when I know that I have to be around him," Harris said in 2014.
"I was a battered woman," she said. "I felt embarrassed about saying I was a battered woman. I felt shame. I felt like it was my fault. What did I do?
"I didn't understand what a battered woman was at that time. Now I know I was in a very dysfunctional, hostile relationship and a victim of domestic violence."
