Robin Simone Givens is an American stage, television, and film actress.
Givens began her acting career after graduating from Sarah Lawrence College in 1984. In 1986,
she won the role of Darlene Merriman in the ABC sitcom Head of the Class. She remained
with the series for its entire five-year run. After the series ended in 1991, she continued
her career with film roles and guest starring roles on television.
In 1996, Givens co-starred on the sitcom Sparks, which aired for two season on UPN. In January
2000, she took over hosting duties on the syndicated talk show Forgive or Forget. The
show was canceled four months later. Givens has since had recurring roles on The Game,
Tyler Perry's House of Payne, and Chuck. In 2007, Givens released her autobiography, Grace
Will Lead Me Home. Givens has been married and divorced twice.
Her first marriage, to boxer Mike Tyson in 1988, drew considerable media attention as
did their divorce the following year. Her second marriage, to tennis instructor Svetozar
Marinković in 1997, also lasted a year. In 1993, Givens adopted a son. In 2000, she gave
birth to a second son fathered by her ex-boyfriend, tennis player Murphy Jensen.
Early life Givens was born in New York City to Ruth Roper
and Reuben Givens, who divorced when she was two. Her mother raised Givens and her sister
Stephanie in Mount Vernon and New Rochelle, New York. Givens graduated from New Rochelle
Academy, and enrolled at Sarah Lawrence College at age 15. She graduated in 1984.
Career 1980s–1990s
Givens first began acting in 1985 with an appearance on The Cosby Show, followed by
roles in Diff'rent Strokes and the 1986 television film Beverly Hills Madam, opposite Faye Dunaway.
That same year, she landed her breakthrough role as rich girl Darlene Merriman on the
ABC sitcom Head of the Class. The series lasted five seasons, ending in 1991. In 1989, while
starring in Head of the Class, she appeared in The Women of Brewster Place with Oprah
Winfrey. She later appeared in Boomerang. In 1994, she posed nude for Playboy magazine
and was ranked #88 on Empire Magazine's 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History list in May
1995. In 1996, Givens portrayed Claudia in the television movie The Face with Yasmine
Bleeth. Later that year, she co-starred in the UPN sitcom Sparks, which series ended
its run in 1998. She also played Denise in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
2000s–2010s In January 2000, Givens appeared in a cameo
in Toni Braxton's music video "He Wasn't Man Enough", as the wife of a cheating husband.
She returned to the entertainment industry later that year as the host of the talk show
Forgive or Forget, replacing television personality Mother Love halfway through the show's second.
Ratings initially increased after Givens took over hosting duties, but soon fell. The series
was canceled after this season. In 2006, Givens attempted a return to television
on MyNetworkTV's telenovela Saints and Sinners, but the show garnered low ratings and was
soon canceled. Givens continued acting in made-for-television films while also making
appearances on Trinity Broadcasting Network's Praise the Lord program, and Larry King Live.
In June 2007, she released her autobiography Grace Will Lead Me Home.
Givens returned to feature films in Tyler Perry's Southern drama The Family That Preys.
She also had a recurring role portraying a fictionalized version of herself on the CW
comedy-drama The Game. Additionally, she has had a recurring role on the TBS show Tyler
Perry's House of Payne, and a guest role on USA Network's Burn Notice.
In addition to television and film roles, Givens has performed onstage. In 2001, she
appeared in an Off Broadway production of The Vagina Monologues. From February to April
16, 2006, she played the role of Roxie Hart in the Broadway play Chicago. In 2007, she
toured the country playing a part in the I'm Ready Productions play Men, Money & Golddiggers.
Givens starred in the 2009 stage play A Mother's Prayer, which also starred Johnny Gill, Shirley
Murdock, and Jermaine Crawford. In 2007, Givens published a memoir entitled
Grace Will Lead Me Home. In it, she reflects on the life of her praying grandmother, Grace,
her experiences of domestic violence, her strong will to survive, feeling abandoned
by her father, and her faith in God. In 2011, she guest-starred in three episodes of NBC's
spy-comedy Chuck: "Chuck Versus the Masquerade", "Chuck Versus the A-Team", and "Chuck Versus
the Muuurder", as Jane Bentley. Personal life
Marriages and children After meeting in March 1987, Givens married
boxer Mike Tyson on February 7, 1988. Tyson was then estimated to have US$50 million,
and he and Givens did not make a prenuptial agreement. During their marriage, Givens and
her mother bought a $4.5 million mansion in the affluent suburb of Bernardsville, New
Jersey. After an alleged miscarriage in May 1988,
the marriage began to fall apart. Givens alleged spousal abuse, while Tyson alleged alienation
and interest in his money, not in him. The marriage ended on Valentine's Day, just a
year later. Newspapers reported that Givens received a divorce settlement of over $10
million from her marriage to Tyson. She later denied the report, stating: "I didn’t receive
one dime". She received negative press following her split from Tyson, particularly within
the African American community. One article, in particular, described her as "the most
hated woman in America". In 1993, Givens adopted her first son, Buddy.
In 1997, she married her tennis instructor, Svetozar Marinković; Givens filed for divorce
months later. In 2000, she had a second son, William, with ex-boyfriend, Murphy Jensen.
Legal issues Lawsuit
In January 2004, Givens critically injured an 89-year-old pedestrian, Maria Antonia Alcover,
while driving an SUV through a Miami, Florida intersection. Givens was ticketed for failing
to use due care with a pedestrian in a crosswalk, but the charges were later dismissed. In June
2004, Alcover filed a civil lawsuit against Givens and her sister for an unknown amount.
Tax problems A May 7, 2009 article in Forbes magazine reported
that the Internal Revenue Service was suing Givens for unpaid federal income taxes totaling
$292,000, which includes interest and penalties. The government had asked a federal court in
Florida for a judgment against her on 39 assessments covering a span of eight years.
Filmography 2000 Love & Basketball
Awards and nominations Bibliography
Givens, Robin. Grace Will Lead Me Home. New York: Miramax. ISBN 1-4013-5246-4.
References
External links Robin Givens at the Internet Movie Database
Robin Givens at the Internet Broadway Database Robin Givens at the Internet Off-Broadway
Database Robin Givens at AllMovie