George Foreman is being sued by two women who claim he raped them when they were teenagers.

Two women are suing George Foreman claiming they were raped by the boxing legend in the 1970s as teenagers.

In a pair of lawsuits filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, the women said their parents worked for Foreman, who began grooming them when they were children. They claimed to have assaulted her in California a few years after meeting her. Each is seeking more than $25 million.

Foreman denied the allegations. “Over the past six months, two women have tried to extort millions of dollars from me and my family,” he said in a statement. “They falsely claim that I sexually assaulted them over 45 years ago in the 1970s. I categorically and vehemently deny these allegations. The pride of my reputation is as important to me as my sporting achievements and I will not be intimidated by threats and unfounded lies. I am guided and always will be by my faith and trust in God. I will work with my attorneys to fully and truthfully disclose my accusers’ scheme and defend myself in court. I don’t look for fights, but I don’t run from them either.”

The lawsuit was filed in response to a 2020 amendment to California’s statute of limitations for certain sex crimes that would give victims of child sexual abuse more time to file lawsuits. The amended law allows plaintiffs to sue within five years of discovering an injury caused by an assault. Judy Hutt has filed a lawsuit against Bill Cosby alleging that she was raped at the Playboy Mansion in 1974 when she was 15 years old. In June, a Los Angeles jury found that the comedian assaulted her.

The women who sued Forman said they suffered “physical and mental pain and suffering” that they discovered on an unspecified date. They filed the suit under pseudonyms. Foreman is also listed as a rearguard defendant, but identifies as a former professional heavyweight boxer who turned pro in 1969 and defeated Joe Frazier for the heavyweight title in 1973.

Los Angeles County resident Dennis S. said he met Foreman when he was 8 years old and coached the boxer for several years.

“When the plaintiff was 13, Doe called the plaintiff at his home in Hayward, California and asked if he knew how to masturbate,” the complaint reads. “During the call, Doe instructed the complainant on how to masturbate.”

According to the lawsuit, Foreman raped her several times in 1976. On one occasion, he allegedly assaulted her while she was staying at a hotel in San Francisco.

In a separate complaint, Nevada resident Gwen H. said Foreman invited her to his apartment when she was 15, after meeting him years ago in Philadelphia. He claimed that he threatened to fire his father, who was a longtime advisor to the boxer.

“The DOE threatened that if he did not comply, his father would lose his job,” the complaint reads. “The DOE then ordered the complainant to remove his clothes. Under duress and coercion of that threat, the plaintiff complied with DOE’s orders.”

According to the lawsuit, Foreman raped her repeatedly until she was 16.

Both women said an unnamed friend and associate of Foreman’s told them about the boxer’s attack. He was told he knew of at least one other victim that Foreman had sexually assaulted as a minor, according to the lawsuit. When confronted, Foreman did not deny the charge.

The complaints relate to sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Foreman is represented by Sean Holley and Suanne McIsaac of Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump Holley.