Boxing star Devin Haney has taken legal action against the mother of his infant daughter, filing a lawsuit in Los Angeles that accuses her of extortion and defamation. Court records show Haney, 25, lodged the suit against Leena Sayed on Wednesday (August 20), less than two months after she obtained a temporary restraining order against him.
In the filing, Haney alleges Sayed threatened him with “reputational ruin” and even “loss of rights to visit his daughter” unless he provided more money. He also claims she has repeatedly made false statements about him publicly, which he describes as “extreme and outrageous.” Along with defamation, the boxing champion is suing for intentional infliction of emotional distress and seeking unspecified damages.
“Devin Haney has lived his life and built his career with integrity, discipline, and respect,” his attorney Bobby Samini said in a statement. “He will not be extorted, intimidated, or coerced by anyone. He will defend his name, and his values against any false narratives or malicious attempts to undermine his character.”
Sayed, however, has her own accusations. In her request for a restraining order earlier this summer, she alleged Haney abused her on multiple occasions over the past year and a half, including an incident in December 2024 in which she says he pushed her while she was nine months pregnant. Haney’s legal team has denied the claims, calling them fabricated.
The pair met around two years ago and welcomed their daughter, Khrome, in January. Both sides are expected in court next month for a hearing on the restraining order. In a statement to TMZ Sports, Sayed’s attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, rejected Haney’s characterization of events, saying his client is only seeking lawful child support. He added that “truth is a defense” in defamation cases, urging Haney to make his case in family court rather than “the court of social media.”
Source: TMZ
