Robin Givens Husband: Who Is Robin Givens Married To? (2026)
By NetWorthTelevision — Updated October 2026
Robin Givens is an American actress and director born November 27, 1964, in New York City. She is best known for playing Darlene Merriman on the ABC sitcom Head of the Class. Givens has been married twice. Her first husband was heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, whom she married on February 7, 1988, and divorced on February 14, 1989. Her second husband was tennis instructor Svetozar Marinkovic, whom she married in 1997 and divorced in 1998.
Who Is Mike Tyson?
Mike Tyson was the undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion at the time he married Robin Givens. Givens and Tyson met in March 1986 and married on February 7, 1988, when Tyson was at the peak of his boxing career. At the time of the wedding, Tyson was estimated to have US$50 million, and the couple did not sign a prenuptial agreement. During their marriage, Givens and her mother bought a $4.6 million mansion in the affluent suburb of Bernardsville, New Jersey.
The marriage drew intense media attention. In a 1988 televised interview with Barbara Walters, Givens admitted that Tyson had been physically abusive toward her. Givens suffered a miscarriage in May 1988, and the marriage fell apart soon after. Givens alleged spousal abuse, while Tyson alleged that Givens was alienating and interested in his money rather than in him. The marriage ended on Valentine's Day, exactly one year after the wedding.
Newspapers reported that Givens received a divorce settlement of over $10 million from Tyson. Givens later denied the report, stating: "I didn't receive one dime." The split brought Givens heavy negative press, and one article described her as "the most hated woman in America." She later became a spokesperson for the National Domestic Violence Hotline for several years.
Marriage Timeline
March 1986: Robin Givens meets Mike Tyson.
February 7, 1988: Givens marries Tyson. Tyson is estimated to have US$50 million; there is no prenuptial agreement.
May 1988: Givens suffers a miscarriage, and the marriage begins to fall apart.
1988: In a televised interview with Barbara Walters, Givens describes Tyson's physical abuse.
February 14, 1989: The marriage to Tyson ends in divorce, exactly one year after the wedding.
1997: Givens marries her tennis instructor, Svetozar Marinkovic. She files for divorce months later.
1998: The divorce from Marinkovic is finalized.
Second Marriage: Svetozar Marinkovic
In 1997, Robin Givens married Svetozar Marinkovic, who was her tennis instructor. The marriage was short-lived: Givens filed for divorce just months after the wedding, and the divorce was finalized in 1998. Very little public information is available about Marinkovic or the details of this brief marriage, as Givens kept this period of her life largely out of the press.
Children
Robin Givens has two sons. In 1993, she adopted her first son, Michael. In 1999, she had her second son, William, with her ex-boyfriend, former tennis player Murphy Jensen. Givens and Jensen were in a relationship from 1999 to 2002.
Career Highlights
Robin Givens began acting at age ten at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. In 1980, at fifteen, she enrolled at Sarah Lawrence College to study pre-med before shifting her focus to acting. Her first Hollywood role was on The Cosby Show (1984). She became widely recognized in 1986 when she was cast as Darlene Merriman on the ABC sitcom Head of the Class, staying with the series for its five-year run.
Givens continued with film and television roles including The Women of Brewster Place (1989) and Boomerang (1992). In 1996, she co-starred on the UPN sitcom Sparks, which aired for two seasons. In January 2000, she took over hosting duties on the syndicated talk show Forgive or Forget. In 2007, Givens published her autobiography, Grace Will Lead Me Home. She has had recurring roles on The Game, Tyler Perry's House of Payne, Chuck, Riverdale and its spin-off Katy Keene, and was part of the main cast of Batwoman. In 2020, Givens began working as a television and film director.
FAQ
Who was Robin Givens married to?
Robin Givens has been married twice: to boxer Mike Tyson (1988-1989) and to tennis instructor Svetozar Marinkovic (1997-1998). She has no husband as of 2026.
When did Robin Givens marry Mike Tyson?
They married on February 7, 1988, after meeting in March 1986. They divorced on February 14, 1989, exactly one year later.
Does Robin Givens have children?
Yes. She has two sons: Michael, adopted in 1993, and William, born in 1999 with her ex-boyfriend Murphy Jensen.
How old is Robin Givens in 2026?
Robin Givens was born on November 27, 1964. She is 61 for most of 2026 and turns 62 on November 27, 2026.
Related Articles
Stacey Dash Husband: Who Is Stacey Dash Married To?