When tragedy struck Mike Tyson’s Phoenix home in May 2009, one name emerged from the shadows: Sol Xochitl, the mother who found her four-year-old daughter, Exodus, entangled in a treadmill cord. Yet unlike many connected to celebrity stories, she chose silence over headlines. Her story reveals strength that doesn’t need a microphone.
Sol Xochitl is Mike Tyson’s former partner and the mother of two of his children, Miguel Leon Tyson and the late Exodus Tyson. Born in Mexico around 1975, she worked as a dancer in Phoenix before meeting Tyson in the early 2000s. After losing Exodus in a 2009 household accident, she withdrew from public life entirely. As of 2025, she maintains complete privacy, reportedly still living in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Woman Before the Headlines
Sol Xochitl was born in Mexico in 1975. Her name carries weight beyond sound—”Xochitl” comes from Nahuatl, the Aztec language, meaning “flower.” Paired with “Sol” (sun in Spanish), her name translates to “flower of the sun.” This combination reflects both Spanish and indigenous heritage.
Before fame touched her life, Sol built a career around movement. She worked as a dancer in Phoenix, Arizona, where fitness became her discipline. Those who knew her described a woman who approached training with the same intensity athletes bring to competition.
Meeting Mike Tyson: A Bond Built on Sweat
The two met in the early 2000s when she was working as a dancer. Their connection wasn’t typical. While Tyson faced the collapse of his boxing career and mounting legal troubles, Sol matched him stride for stride in the gym. Tyson mentioned in his memoir that she was so competitive that she often outworked him during training.
This wasn’t a relationship built on red carpets. They never married. Instead, they created a family unit during one of Tyson’s most unstable periods. She provided consistency when chaos surrounded them—financial pressure, media scrutiny, personal demons.
Their Children: Miguel and Exodus
Sol gave birth to two children with Tyson. Miguel Leon Tyson was born on April 18, 2002. Three years later, in March 2005, Exodus arrived.
Miguel grew into a creative force of his own. At 23 years old in 2025, he’s pursued music and photography rather than boxing. He studied music performance at Estrella Mountain Community College and later enrolled at Renaissance Music Academy. He now operates Miguel Lión Media as a travel photographer based in Los Angeles.
Miguel has been a volunteer with the American Red Cross since August 2021. He also participated in climate strikes and helped establish water systems in Ghana through iwilGO, demonstrating the values his mother instilled—service over self-promotion.
May 2009: The Day Everything Changed
On May 25, 2009, Exodus Tyson was found by her seven-year-old brother with a treadmill cord wrapped around her neck. The cord hung beneath the console like a loop. Police Sergeant Andy Hill stated she either slipped or put her head in the loop, which acted like a noose.
Sol was cleaning in another room when Miguel discovered his sister. She immediately removed the cord and called 911, performing CPR while waiting for emergency responders. Exodus was placed on life support and died the following day at 11:45 a.m. on May 26, 2009.
Mike Tyson was in Las Vegas when it happened. He flew to Phoenix immediately. The family released a statement: “There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Exodus.”
The accident devastated both parents. Tyson later admitted he turned to cocaine briefly after her death, but couldn’t handle it. The grief fractured what remained of their relationship. Within a month, Tyson married Lakiha Spicer. Sol chose a different path entirely.
Life After Loss: Choosing Privacy Over Publicity
After Exodus died, Sol Xochitl disappeared from public view. No interviews. No social media accounts. No attempts to monetize her connection to one of boxing’s biggest names.
This choice stands in stark contrast to an era where proximity to fame typically breeds influence campaigns and podcast circuits. Sol did the opposite. She focused on healing and raising Miguel away from the cameras.
Reports suggest she still resides in Phoenix, though her exact location remains undisclosed. Friends describe her as dedicated to personal peace and her surviving son’s well-being. She built a life defined by normalcy—routines, family time, quiet strength.
Sol’s Influence on Mike Tyson
Even though their relationship ended, Sol shaped a critical period in Tyson’s life. She supported him during financial collapse and personal turmoil. Her presence provided stability when he desperately needed it.
Tyson acknowledged her impact in his memoir “Undisputed Truth,” particularly her fierce approach to fitness that pushed him harder. That competitive spirit represented more than gym sessions—it reflected her refusal to back down from challenges.
The loss of Exodus changed Tyson profoundly. He’s spoken publicly about how it forced him to reassess fatherhood, grief, and what matters most. Sol experienced the same trauma but processed it privately, showing that healing doesn’t require public testimony.
What We Can Learn From Sol Xochitl
Sol’s story teaches several lessons about handling life’s hardest moments:
- Privacy has power. In 2025, where oversharing dominates, her choice to remain private demonstrates that dignity doesn’t need an audience. She protected her son from relentless public attention while processing unimaginable grief.
- Strength comes in many forms. She didn’t write books or give tearful interviews. She simply kept living, kept caring, kept building a stable environment for Miguel. That daily commitment requires its own brand of courage.
- Identity beyond relationships. Despite being known primarily through Mike Tyson, Sol refused to define herself solely by that connection. She had her own passions—fitness, dance, motherhood—and she returned to those foundations when rebuilding her life.
Where Is Sol Xochitl Now?
As of 2025, Sol Xochitl maintains complete privacy. She doesn’t appear on social media platforms. No recent interviews exist. Public records suggest she remains in the Phoenix area, but she’s deliberately kept herself removed from attention.
Miguel occasionally appears at events related to his father, but he’s also chosen a low-profile existence focused on creative work and charitable causes. The values Sol instilled—humility, service, privacy—are evident in how he conducts himself.
There’s no confirmed net worth for Sol. She doesn’t promote products, sell stories, or capitalize on her past. This financial opacity aligns perfectly with her broader approach: a life lived on her terms, not the public’s.
The Meaning Behind the Name
Understanding Sol’s name adds depth to her story. In Nahuatl, “Xochitl” means “flower,” representing life, rebirth, and endurance in indigenous cultures. Flowers symbolize beauty but also fragility—they bloom, face storms, and find ways to continue growing.
The name fits her journey. She experienced devastating loss but didn’t wilt permanently. Like her namesake, she found ways to endure, to rebuild, to keep nurturing the family she had left.
Final Thoughts
Sol Xochitl’s story matters because it represents a different kind of strength. She survived the worst tragedy a parent can face. She raised her surviving son with apparent success, given his charitable work and grounded approach to life. She did this without seeking sympathy, publicity, or financial gain from her proximity to fame.
In an age of constant visibility, her choice of invisibility stands out. It reminds us that not every story needs a stage, not every lesson requires a lecture, and not every form of courage announces itself.
The woman whose name means “flower of the sun” has lived up to both halves of that meaning—the warmth and energy of the sun balanced by the quiet beauty and resilience of a flower that blooms even after harsh seasons.