Domestic Violence

The list of celebrity batterers from the sports world alone is a long one, which includes the notorious O.J. Simpson, boxer Sugar Ray Leonard, baseball star Daryl Strawberry, former University of Alabama basketball coach Wimp Sanderson, former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson (cited by ex-wife Robin Givens and subsequently convicted of raping Miss Black Rhode Island), California Angels pitcher Donnie Moore (who shot and wounded his estranged wife, Tonya, before killing himself in 1989), and Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Blenda Gay (stabbed to death in 1976 by his battered wife, Roxanne, who said she acted in self-defense). The list of entertainers named as batterers is also lengthy and star-studded. Tina Turner reported in her autobiography that husband Ike abused her for years. Ali McGraw described the violent assaults of Steve McQueen. Sheila Ryan sued her then-husband James Cann in 1980, alleging that he had beaten her. Madonna accused Sean Penn, and Daryl Hannah named Jack...