MOSCOW -- Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson traveled to the Soviet Union to 'get away from the press and the controversy' surrounding his marriage and last week's car accident in New York, his wife Robin Givens said Saturday.
Givens, who is in Moscow for the filming of two episodes of her ABC television series 'Head of the Class,' said she and Tyson planned to spend two weeks in the Soviet Union.
Between filming of the series, Givens and Tyson intend to do some sightseeing and 'just relax'.
'During this time we want to avoid the press. That is why we came here. We came here to get away from the press and the controversy. Mike wants to relax,' Givens told UPI in a brief telephone conversation.
'Please don't try and turn this into an interview. He is fine now. Please let us go and have some breakfast.'
Givens refused several requests to put her husband on the telephone for even a brief word.
Tyson and Givens left the United States Thursday for their flight to the Soviet Union via Denmark.
Prior to his departure, Tyson denied that he had tried to commit suicide by driving his car into a tree in upstate New York. He also denied allegations in a newspaper that he was a wife beater and that Givens was living in fear of him.
Tyson was released from the hospital Wednesday but head and chest injuries suffered in the accident caused the postponement of his Oct. 22 title bout in London with Briton Frank Bruno.
Hotel staff said Tyson and Givens were sharing a suite in a hotel near Red Square and looked 'happy' when they checked in.
'He is a very large man but his wife is very pretty,' one staff member giggled.
An angry Givens when telephoned later in the day said she had been plagued by reporters calls and asked to be left alone.
'Listen we are here, we are working in the Soviet Union. You can call as much as you like but we are not going to answer any questions from you or anybody. We came here to get away from it,' she said.
