Deontay Wilder's fiancee claims that Wilder has assaulted her, including choking her, at least 10 times since they began dating in 2015 and that her mental state has deteriorated during her struggles in the ring, according to a motion for a temporary restraining order granted by a judge on Monday.
Chantelle “Teri” Swift said some of the at least 10 physical assaults happened in front of the couple's 6-year-old daughter and son, and a temporary restraining order ordered Wilder to stay at least 100 yards away from Swift and her daughter.
USA TODAY Sports obtained a copy of the request, which was filed May 30 in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Wilder did not immediately respond to voicemail and text messages left by USA Today Sports at a phone number registered to Wilder's name seeking comment. Wilder's co-manager, Shelley Finkel, declined to comment.
Swift, 37, said she was worried about what Wilder, 38, would do when he returned home after his June 1 loss to Zhang Zhiping in Saudi Arabia. According to Swift's petition for the retraining order, Wilder has at least 12 guns in total, including “machine guns,” assault rifles and Glocks, in the three homes where he is staying.
Wilder is required to sell or surrender the firearms to law enforcement within 24 hours of receiving the restraining order, which expires June 25 when a court hearing on the matter will be held.
Deontay Wilder's struggles in the ring and mental state
According to court documents, Swift said Wilder's mental health had deteriorated over the past four years as he struggled in the boxing ring.
She said Wilder appeared depressed and angry after his first professional defeat on Feb. 22, 2020. In the rematch, Tyson Fury defeated Wilder by TKO in the seventh round.
According to court documents, Swift said Wilder “went mad at me and my family. I asked him to go to therapy, but he wouldn't get help.”
Swift said Wilder's attitude worsened after he lost again to Fury on Oct. 9, 2021. Fury knocked him out in the 11th round in their third and final bout.
“At that point, he was struggling to land any matches that would advance his career and was mentally unstable,” Swift wrote in her request for the restraining order. “He would often cry and scream in the home.”
Since his loss to Joseph Parker in December, Swift said, “Deontay has become more emotionally abusive towards me than ever before. As Deontay has become more aggressive and controlling, I have endured in silence because I did not want to put him through any more emotional pain.”
On May 31 in Saudi Arabia, Wilder was knocked out in the fifth round, marking his fourth loss in his last five fights.
Deontay Wilder physical abuse allegations
Swift said in court documents that since their relationship began in 2015, Wilder assaulted her at least five times and choked her at least five times with his right hand until she nearly lost consciousness, leaving painful bruises.
Swift noted that Wilder is 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 220 pounds, while she is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds.
In 2020, Swift said Wilder choked her in front of her daughter and Swift's son. She also said Wilder attacked her son, Kellon, twice: When Kellon, now 18, was 11, Wilder grabbed him by his clothes and slammed his head against the side of Swift's car after he felt he had behaved “disrespectfully.”
In another incident, Swift said, Wilder accused Kerrone of being “disrespectful” and then pushed him in the chest, leaving Wilder's hands red.
Swift said the last physical assault against her happened in 2020, but that Wilder had become increasingly mentally abusive, recently threatening to kick her out of one of his homes despite her being recovering from surgery.
Deontay Wilder faces more allegations
Swift said she tried to leave Wilder after the argument, but he refused.
Swift said she was three months pregnant in 2017 when Wilder hid the keys to her house and car because he didn't want her to move out.
“Deontay is unpredictable,” she said. “I need to get a domestic violence restraining order against Deontay because his behavior perpetuates a cycle of domestic violence where he controls me whether we are in the home together or not.”
Swift said she mistakenly believed Wilder was having an affair and that things had been getting worse since April, when Swift said she had a digital camera that contained photos of Wilder having sex with multiple women in bed, according to court documents.
She also said Wilder expected to have sex with her three times a day.
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