Olympic gold medalist and legendary boxer Oscar De La Hoya recently revealed during an interview with the L.A. Times that he was raped by a woman when he was 13.
He stated, "I was raped at 13, from a woman, an older woman. Thirteen, lost my virginity over being, you know, being raped, basically. I was in Hawaii, I think, at some tournament. She was over 35."
De La Hoya then addressed the aftermath of the incident, stating, "You suppress everything. 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."
During the interview, De La Hoya also spoke about coming out of a 13-year retirement to take on former MMA champion Vitor Belfort at Staples Center on Sept. 11 in the main event of a pay-per-view show. He explained that he regretted announcing his retirement in 2009 following his loss to Manny Pacquiao, adding that he did it because he thought it was what he was supposed to do.
De La Hoya then added, "You try to convince yourself that life is going to get better after you retire. Jesus, you’ve been waiting for this moment all your life. And once you’re retired, once you’re not doing what you love, there’s a big hole."
While De La Hoya is unsure about future fights, the L.A. Times reports that "he would be satisfied knowing he fought on his terms."
Source: L.A. Times
