ROY JONES JR has tragically revealed his son has died after taking his own life.
The boxing legend, 55, took to social media with a heartwrenching post.
In it, he described how thankful he was to be able to spend the final evening of DeAndre’s life together.
And the former four-weight world champion has understandably asked for space to process the devastating loss.
DeAndre was understood to be 30 at the time of his sad death.
Jones Jr wrote: “Unfortunately, my son DeAndre took his life on Saturday.
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“I’m so thankful that God allowed me to come Friday night to spend the last night of his life with me and the family.
“I know a lot of people are going through tough times right now, but nothing is worth taking your own life.
“God gives it and God should be the one to take it away.
“Please respect our privacy while my family and I process this loss.
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“Thank you for the love and support.”
DeAndre was one of three children born to Jones Jr and his wife Natlyn – after his brothers Roy III and twin DeShaun.
Their legendary father rose to prominence in the boxing world in the 1990s – following his silver medal as an amateur at the 1988 Olympics.
He was crowned middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight world champ, cementing his status as one of the greatest boxers ever to step into the ring.
In 2003, Jones Jr became the first boxer to win both middleweight and heavyweight world titles for 106 years.
He won a staggering 66 – including 47 by knockout – of his 76 fights.
Jones Jr came out of retirement in 2020 for an exhibition bout with Mike Tyson which ended in a draw after eight rounds in Los Angeles.
However, he lost his most recent dust-up to Anthony Pettis as recently as April 2023, three months after his 54th birthday.
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Just months later, he split from coaching British star Chris Eubank Jr after two years.
Jones Jr released his first studio album – titled Round One: The Album – in 2002 and has also appeared in various films.
You’re Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
