Top 10 Athletes with the Most Children

By Jason Bolton July 24, 2024 06:36

Photo by CHRIS SZAGOLA/CAL SPORT MEDIA/ZUMA PRESS

Athletes often play high-profile roles in the public domain due to their fame and success in sports. This attention often results in a lifestyle that affords an athlete to be surrounded by plenty of women, which explains why many athletes father scores of children from different mothers. A large family may be a personal choice for some athletes, but with it comes its list of challenges.

In this article, we will look at the top 10 sportsmen who have fathered the most children and discuss their personal lives, relationships, and other factors that might be behind such great faculty families.

Top 10 most prolific athletes with children

1. Calvin Murphy - 14 children

The NBA great Calvin Murphy is a grandfather and the father of 14 children with nine women. But he was later vilified in 2004 when five of his daughters accused him of sexually abusing them; Murphy was never convicted due to the absence of any evidence.

2. Antonio Cromartie - 12 Children

Former NFL cornerback Antonio Cromartie has eight baby mommas and fathered 12 children. Cromartie's fecund family life was a matter of public record, as the athlete has openly acknowledged that his numerous children contributed to financial strains. As of 2010, Cromartie was writing checks for over $300K in child support.

3. George Foreman -12 Children (2 Adopted)

The legendary two-time heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman has 12 children, and he adopted two daughters. Foreman has been vocally pro-children, saying once that "you might have an ex-wife or husband, but you can never be the parent of ex-children." Although he's had his share of fame, Foreman has worked hard to be a full-time dad and even wrote the book "Fatherhood".

4. Evander Holyfield - 11 Children

Reports of financial misfortunes and child support issues have led to scrutiny of Holyfield's family life, which is further complicated by how many children Evander has. Yet, the boxer seems to have devoted himself to his children and played a part in raising them.

5. Travis Henry- 10 Children

Ex-NFL running back Travis Henry and ten baby mamas have had 11 kids. Henry's personal life has been marred by legal troubles, including arrests for not paying child support and a three-year sentence on drug trafficking charges, which was later reduced to 18 months in federal prison. Henry is a case in point for the difficulties that come with being an athlete and having many children.

6. Jason Caffey- 10 Children

Jason Caffey, former NBA Player Caffey, was reportedly embroiled in child support disputes and mismanaged filing of some paperwork on spousal support. The former basketball player has since admitted that supporting a pack of child children was no easy task, and it weighed heavily on his personal life as well.

7. Willie Anderson - 9 Children

NBA star Willie Anderson had nine kids with seven women. Anderson lost nearly all of a $1.75 million deferred contract payment to unpaid child support payments.

8. Muhammad Ali - 9 Children

The legendary boxer Muhammad Ali had nine children with five different women. For all his fame and boxing glory, Ali's personal life was a little more turbulent thanks to the challenges of being such a big family man. However, the boxer was committed to his children and was famous for being very family-oriented.

9. Mike Tyson - 8 Children

Mike Tyson, the former heavyweight boxing champion has a total of eight kids. Media attention has been pushed mainly through Tyson's personal life, with many stories focusing on his success within the ring and off of it.

10. Shawn Kemp - 7 Children

Former NBA player Shawn Kemp has seven children from his six different women. Kemp's family life has been brought up over the years, with the athlete admitting that supporting his big family despite earning millions of dollars per year put a financial strain on him.

Analysis and Insights

The financial and legal troubles of many athletes who found themselves unable to pay for the numerous children they have fathered by various women. This has given rise to child support payments and legal battles that have left more than one of the professional athlete's personal life in ruins as well.

The tales of these athletes are proof that being famous or having lots of money doesn't guarantee successfully handling personal relations and family affairs. The financial, emotional, and legal burdens that come with such a large family are among the many unfortunate results illustrated dramatically by these cases involving athletes.