Foreman’s official Instagram accountannounced the newson Friday night.
“Our hearts are broken.
Sheryl Lee Ralph, who starred onGeorgewith the boxer in 1993,paid tributeto him on Instagram.
George Foreman.Credit:Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty
“My heart is with the Foreman family today.
George had a smile as wide as his spirit and a heart full of kindness,” she wrote.
“I’ll never forget how eager he was to learn, grow, and give his all.”
George Foreman in 1975.Disney General Entertainment Content via Gett
Rest well, my friend.”
Foreman went pro in 1969, amassing a 37-0 record over the next four years.
He then worked as a ringside analyst for HBO for more than a decade.
(L-R): George Foreman and Muhammad Ali boxing at the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ in 1974.Ken Regan /Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
During his comeback, Foreman began promoting Salton Inc.’s portable grill in 1994.
The company ultimatelypaid the boxer over $137 millionfor the rights to use his name on the product.
Foreman was also an occasional TV star, first acting in a 1975 episode ofThe Six Million Dollar Man.
The cast of ‘George’: Sheryl Lee Ralph, George Foreman, Tony T. Johnson, and Lauren Robinson.Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty
He played himself in an episode ofSanford and Sonthe following year, and also played himself onHome Improvementin 1992.
Foreman was also one of four main stars on the NBC travel seriesBetter Late Than Never.
Boxer Charles Shufford portrayed him inMichael Mann’sWill Smithstarring 2001 biopic,Ali, which dramatized the same fight.
One of Foreman’s most recent claims to fame was his appearance on season 8 ofThe Masked Singerin 2022.
Foreman reflected on his time on the show and his other TV appearances in aninterview withEntertainment Weeklyfollowing his elimination.
“I’ll go back so far as television appearances in the golden days, onSanford and Son.
I enjoyed that,” he said when asked about his favorite TV projects.
“Whenever it replays people call me up like, ‘George, I just saw you!’
And of course, for a while I had my own television show calledGeorge.
And that was a lot of fun.”
Foreman saidThe Masked Singerwas “fun,” too, but he still considered it a workout.
“It was work to put on a costume,” he said.
Foreman is survived by his wife, his five sons all named George Foreman and his six daughters.
