Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Herschel Walker

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Herschel Walker.

Herschel Walker is a former American football running back, renowned for winning the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award in 1982. He enjoyed a 15-year professional career in both the USFL and NFL. Beyond sports, Walker ventured into politics, becoming the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia. Additionally, he was nominated to be the United States Ambassador to the Bahamas during President Donald Trump's (hypothetical) second term.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1991: Russian Roulette Incident

In 1991, Herschel Walker wrote about a competitive alter caused him to play Russian roulette, seeing "mortality as the ultimate challenge".

1993: Second Woman Alleges Pressure from Walker to Get Abortion

In 1993, Herschel Walker allegedly pressured a second woman to get an abortion after a years-long extramarital relationship. Walker denied the allegation.

September 2001: Police Called to Grossman's Home

In September 2001, police were called to Cindy Grossman's home due to Herschel Walker's volatile behavior, with reports indicating Walker was armed and scaring Grossman. A therapist defused the situation, and police confiscated a handgun from Walker's car.

December 2001: Grossman Accuses Walker of Abuse

In December 2001, during the divorce filing, Cindy Grossman accused Herschel Walker of "physically abusive and extremely threatening behavior."

2001: Confrontation and Threats

Sometime around 2001, Herschel Walker had a "confrontation" with Cindy Grossman's friend, which was followed by Walker calling her to threaten her and "having her house watched".

May 2002: Police Report by Grossman's Friend

In May 2002, while receiving treatment for dissociative identity disorder, Herschel Walker was the subject of a police report made by a friend of his ex-wife, Cindy Grossman, who stated that he followed her home and she was "very frightened" of Walker.

2005: Alleged Violence Against Cheryl Parsa

In 2005, Cheryl Parsa alleged that Herschel Walker became physically violent towards her, grabbing her neck and chest, and swinging a fist at her after she found him with another woman.

2005: Restraining Order Imposed

In 2005, a restraining order was imposed on Herschel Walker regarding Cindy Grossman, after a threat was made against her life. This resulted in a temporary gun-owning ban for Walker.

2009: Allegation of Walker Paying for Abortion Surfaces

In 2009, Herschel Walker allegedly paid for a woman's abortion. The woman provided evidence to support the allegation, which Walker denied.

2009: Employee Count Claim

In 2009, Herschel Walker claimed that Renaissance Man Food Services had over 100 employees.

2011: Walker Allegedly Advised Woman to Have Second Abortion

In 2011, Herschel Walker allegedly advised a woman to have a second abortion, leading to the end of their relationship.

January 2012: Threat Allegations by Myka Dean

In January 2012, Myka Dean reported to police that Herschel Walker threatened her when she attempted to end their relationship. She stated that he threatened to "blow her head off".

2012: Son Born

In 2012, another of Walker's sons was born. The mother of the son claimed that Walker had seen his son 'maybe... three times', with Walker's parenting contributions mostly being court-ordered child support and sporadic gifts.

2017: False Graduation Claims Begin

Starting in 2017, Herschel Walker began making the false claim that he had graduated from the University of Georgia "in the top 1% of his class".

2018: Company Ownership Claims

In 2018, Herschel Walker acknowledged that Renaissance Man Food Services did not own any chicken processing plants and instead partnered with plant owners to sell branded chicken products.

2018: Employee Count Claim

In 2018, Herschel Walker claimed that Renaissance Man Food Services had "over 600 employees."

2019: Walker Claims to Have Spent Time at Quantico at FBI Training School

In 2019, Herschel Walker said he "spent time at Quantico at the FBI training school" and was "an agent" when, in reality, Walker lacked the bachelor's degree required for FBI training.

2019: Death of Myka Dean

Myka Dean, who had previously accused Herschel Walker of making threats against her, died in 2019.

April 2020: Renaissance Man Food Services Applied for PPP Loan and Walker Mocked "Big Companies"

In April 2020, Renaissance Man Food Services applied for and received two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling $180,000 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also in April 2020, Herschel Walker mocked "big companies" on Twitter that received PPP money, despite being a board member of a hotel group that received over $9 million in PPP loans.

2020: Walker Supports Trump's Efforts to Overturn the 2020 Election Results

After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, Herschel Walker tweeted a video supporting Trump's efforts to overturn the election results. Walker claimed that Biden "didn't get 50 million" votes and alleged that there was "country-wide election fraud".

2020: Walker Initially Questions Legitimacy of 2020 Election

After the 2020 election, Herschel Walker spread election fraud claims. Later, in the October 2022 debate with Warnock, Walker conceded that "President Biden won and Raphael Warnock won."

2020: Employee Count Discrepancy

In 2020, Renaissance Man Food Services informed the U.S. government that it had eight employees, contrasting with Walker's earlier claims.

2020: Comments on Fatherless Households

In 2020, prior to acknowledging all his children, Herschel Walker stated in an interview that fatherless households were a "major, major problem" in African-American communities, a statement that would later draw criticism.

August 2021: Walker Registers to Vote in Georgia

In August 2021, as he was preparing to run for U.S. Senate, Herschel Walker registered to vote in Georgia, listing his residence as Buckhead, Georgia, a property owned by his wife.

December 2021: Senate Campaign Website Claim Controversy

In December 2021, Herschel Walker's Senate campaign website claimed he graduated as the valedictorian of the entire high school, but this was later found to have no evidence. The claim on Walker's website was later removed and amended to state that Walker graduated high school "top of his class".

December 2021: Assertions about Education Deleted

In December 2021, Herschel Walker's Senate campaign website deleted the assertions about his education after inquiries from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

2021: Walker Spreads Conspiracy Theory About Capitol Attack

In 2021, Herschel Walker spread a conspiracy theory about the 2021 United States Capitol attack, suggesting it was a "well-planned" distraction from election fraud.

January 2022: Walker Claims to Live in Texas

In January 2022, Herschel Walker stated "I live in Texas…" at a political campaign event, despite registering to vote in Georgia in August 2021.

May 2022: Walker States Opposition to Abortion with No Exceptions

In May 2022, Herschel Walker stated he opposes abortion, and wants no exceptions to abortion bans, while also calling for more support for adoption and single parents.

May 2022: Walker on Tackling Gun Violence: "Cain Killed Abel"

In May 2022, when asked how to tackle gun violence, Herschel Walker referenced Cain and Abel. He suggested focusing on young men's behavior and investing in mental health.

June 2022: Acknowledging Additional Children

In June 2022, Herschel Walker publicly acknowledged his two additional sons and a daughter after a report by The Daily Beast. Walker stated that he "never denied" having four children, despite previously not acknowledging them publicly.

June 2022: Investigation Finds Walker's Claims About Working in Law Enforcement Were False or Unverifiable

In June 2022, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found Herschel Walker's claims about working in law enforcement were either false or unverifiable.

July 2022: Walker States "I Have No Clue" Regarding Fairness of Biden's Win in Georgia

In July 2022, when asked whether Joe Biden had fairly defeated Donald Trump in Georgia, Walker replied, "I have no clue."

August 2022: Walker Responds to Inflation Reduction Act

In August 2022, Herschel Walker responded to questions about the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which includes funding to counteract climate change, and made comments about money going to trees.

September 2022: Walker Endorses 15-Week Abortion Ban

In September 2022, Herschel Walker endorsed legislation proposed by Senator Lindsey Graham that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy nationwide, except in cases of rape, incest, and threat to the life of the patient.

September 2022: Walker States Opposition to Transgender Athletes in Women's Sports

In September 2022, Herschel Walker stated his opposition to transgender athletes competing in women's sports events. He also discussed transgender children in general.

October 3, 2022: The Daily Beast Publishes Allegations About Walker Paying for Abortion

On October 3, 2022, The Daily Beast published allegations from a woman who said that Herschel Walker impregnated her and paid for her abortion in 2009. Walker denied the allegations.

October 5, 2022: Walker's Campaign Fires Political Director

On October 5, 2022, Herschel Walker's campaign fired Taylor Crowe, his campaign political director, over suspicions that he leaked information to the media.

October 7, 2022: Walker Acknowledges Accuser as Mother of Son

On October 7, 2022, Herschel Walker acknowledged that his accuser was the mother of his son but neither confirmed nor denied the abortion.

October 14, 2022: Walker and Warnock Face Off in Senate Debate

On October 14, 2022, Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock participated in their only debate for the Senate election. Walker's demeanor was described as "aggressive," and he was admonished for using a prop. Reports indicated Walker avoided disaster and embarrassment in the debate.

October 2022: Son Accuses Walker of Threats

In October 2022, Walker's adult son Christian publicly accused Walker of having threatened to kill him and his mother, criticizing Walker's public image.

October 2022: Criticism from Son Christian

In October 2022, Walker's adult son Christian publicly criticized Walker for his absence in raising his children, highlighting Walker's stance on father absence.

October 26, 2022: Second Woman Alleges Walker Pressured Her to Get Abortion in 1993

On October 26, 2022, a second woman alleged that Herschel Walker pressured her to get an abortion in 1993 after a years-long extramarital relationship with him. Walker denied the allegation.

November 2022: Walker Discusses Green Agenda at Rally

At a November 2022 rally, Herschel Walker told supporters that America isn't "ready for the green agenda" and advocated for keeping "gas-guzzling cars".

November 2022: Walker Describes Abortion Rights as Among Things That People Are Not Concerned About

In May 2022, Herschel Walker described abortion rights as among the "things that people are not concerned about" for the November 2022 election.

November 2022: Walker Compares Warnock to Vampire in Campaign Speech

In a mid-November 2022 campaign speech, Herschel Walker compared Raphael Warnock to a vampire, referencing a film and urging faith in elected officials, also stating he wanted to be a werewolf.

December 2022: Parsa's Allegations of Abuse

In December 2022, Cheryl Parsa alleged that in 2005, during their relationship, Herschel Walker had gotten angry and physically violent with her after she found him with another woman.