Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Herschel Walker

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

Herschel Walker is an American diplomat and former professional football player. Currently the United States ambassador-designate to the Bahamas since 2025, he is a member of the Republican Party. Walker was the Republican nominee in the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Georgia, but was unsuccessful. As a football player, Walker played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) as a running back.

Sections (6)

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

1989: Walker speaks of attending FBI school

In 1989, Herschel Walker told the media that he "had fun" while attending an FBI school in Quantico for a week, speaking of an "obstacle course and you shoot at targets".

1993: Walker allegedly pressures woman to have abortion

In 1993, Herschel Walker allegedly pressured a second woman to have an abortion after a years-long extramarital relationship, according to allegations made at a press conference on October 26, 2022.

September 2001: Police called due to Walker's behavior towards Grossman

In September 2001, police were called to Cindy DeAngelis Grossman's home in Irving, Texas, by Herschel Walker's therapist. A police report stated that Walker was "volatile", had a weapon, and was scaring Grossman, and that he "talked about having a shoot-out with police." Police confiscated a SIG Sauer handgun from Walker's car and put his home on a "caution list".

December 2001: Grossman accuses Walker of abusive behavior in divorce filing

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

2001: Confrontation with friend of Grossman

Sometime around 2001, prior to May 2002, Herschel Walker had a confrontation with a friend of Cindy DeAngelis Grossman. Following the confrontation, Walker allegedly threatened her and had her house watched.

May 2002: Police report filed by friend of Grossman

In May 2002, while Herschel Walker was receiving treatment for dissociative identity disorder, a friend of Cindy DeAngelis Grossman filed a police report stating that Walker followed her home and that she was "very frightened" of him. She also reported a previous "confrontation" with Walker around 2001, followed by threats and having her house watched.

2005: Alleged altercation with ex-girlfriend Cheryl Parsa

In 2005, Cheryl Parsa, an ex-girlfriend of Herschel Walker, alleged that he put his hands on her neck and chest and swung a fist at her after she found him with another woman.

2005: Restraining order imposed on Walker

In 2005, a restraining order was imposed on Herschel Walker regarding Cindy DeAngelis Grossman, after Grossman's sister stated in an affidavit that Walker threatened to shoot Grossman and her boyfriend. A temporary gun-owning ban was also issued to Walker. Walker attributed his behavior to his dissociative identity disorder diagnosed in 2001.

2008: Renaissance Man Food Services sales

In 2008, Walker claimed Renaissance Man Food Services had $70 million in annual sales.

2009: Walker allegedly pays for abortion

In 2009, Herschel Walker allegedly impregnated a woman and paid for her abortion, according to allegations published by The Daily Beast on October 3, 2022.

2011: Walker allegedly advises accuser to have a second abortion

In 2011, Herschel Walker allegedly advised his accuser to have a second abortion, leading to the end of their relationship, according to information released within a week of the original allegations in The New York Times.

January 2012: Report of threat made by Walker to Myka Dean

In January 2012, Myka Dean reported to Irving, Texas, police that Herschel Walker threatened to "blow her head off" when she tried to end their relationship. The police described the threats as "extreme threats". Dean was a business partner of Walker for his company Renaissance Man Inc.

2012: Birth of one of Walker's sons

One of Walker's sons was born in 2012. The mother of the son said that Walker saw his son "maybe ... three times", with Walker's parenting contributions mostly being court-ordered child support and sporadic gifts.

2017: Renaissance Man Food Services sales

In 2017, Walker claimed Renaissance Man Food Services had $70 million in annual sales.

2017: False Claim of Graduation in Top 1%

Starting in 2017, Herschel Walker falsely claimed that he had graduated from the University of Georgia "in the top 1% of his class".

2018: Declaration Regarding Chicken Processing Plants

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

2019: Walker claims to have spent time at Quantico at the FBI training school

In 2019, Herschel Walker claimed 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.

April 2020: Renaissance Man Food Services receives PPP loan while Walker criticizes "big companies" for receiving PPP money

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's economic impact. Also in April 2020, Walker mocked "big companies" on Twitter for receiving PPP money, despite being a board member of the Sotherly Hotel Group, which received over $9 million in PPP loans while firing 90% of its hotel staff.

2020: Walker supports Trump's efforts to overturn election results and spreads conspiracy theories.

Following Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election, Herschel Walker tweeted a video supporting Trump's efforts to overturn the election results. Walker spread numerous conspiracy theories, claiming that Biden "didn't get 50 million" votes and alleging "country-wide election fraud."

2020: Walker comments on fatherless households

In a 2020 interview, Herschel Walker stated that fatherless households were a "major, major problem" in African-American communities, prior to publicly acknowledging all of his children.

December 2021: Valedictorian Claim Controversy

In December 2021, Herschel Walker's Senate campaign website claimed he graduated as the valedictorian of the entire high school, but CNN found no evidence for this claim, leading to the claim being removed and amended.

December 2021: Education Claims Deleted from Website

In December 2021, Herschel Walker's Senate campaign website deleted assertions about his education after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution inquired about it, with Walker acknowledging he left the university prior to graduation.

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 during campaign event

In January 2022, during a political campaign event, Herschel Walker stated that he lives in Texas, despite having registered to vote in Georgia in August 2021. Tax records for 2021 and 2022 also show Walker's primary residence as Tarrant County, Texas, where he continues to receive property tax breaks.

May 2022: Walker's comments on gun violence

In May 2022, Herschel Walker addressed gun violence, referencing Cain and Abel, proposing a department to monitor young men's social media, and suggesting investment in mental health. He also responded to a question about new gun laws after the Uvalde school shooting by saying he would like to "see it and everything and stuff".

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 money to promote adoption and support single parents.

June 2022: Walker acknowledges additional children

In June 2022, Herschel Walker publicly acknowledged having two additional sons and a daughter, one day after The Daily Beast reported on one of his additional sons. He stated that he "never denied" having four children. The Daily Beast later reported that Walker had lied to his 2022 Senate campaign about how many children he had.

June 2022: Walker's law enforcement claims questioned

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

July 2022: Walker says he has "no clue" whether Biden fairly won Georgia

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

August 2022: Walker responds to questions about the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

In August 2022, in response to questions about the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which includes funding to counteract climate change, Walker said, "They continue to try to fool you that they are helping you out. But they're not" possibly referring to a provision that allocated $1.5 billion to the U.S. Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry Program, Walker added, "Because a lot of money, it's going to trees. Don't we have enough trees around here?"

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's comments on transgender women in sports and transgender children

In September 2022, Herschel Walker voiced his opposition to transgender women participating in women's sports. He also commented on transgender children, stating concerns about what children were being taught regarding gender identity, claiming Jesus might not recognize them.

October 3, 2022: Walker accused of paying for abortion

On October 3, 2022, The Daily Beast reported allegations from a woman claiming Herschel Walker impregnated her and paid for her abortion in 2009. She supported the claim with images of a check, a get-well card, and a receipt for the abortion. Walker denied the allegations.

October 7, 2022: Walker acknowledges his accuser is the mother of his son

On October 7, 2022, Herschel Walker acknowledged that his accuser was the mother of his son, while addressing allegations that she had an abortion.

October 2022: Christian Walker accuses Walker of threats and absence

In October 2022, Christian Walker publicly accused Herschel Walker of having threatened to kill him and his mother. He also criticized Walker's claims of being a "family man" and accused him of destroying other people's lives. Herschel Walker responded on Twitter, stating that he loved his son "no matter what".

October 2022: Christian Walker criticizes his father's absence

In October 2022, Herschel Walker's adult son, Christian Walker, criticized his father's absence, stating that Herschel Walker has four children with four different women and was not involved in raising them. The mother of another of Walker's sons said that Walker saw his son "maybe ... three times".

October 26, 2022: Second woman alleges Walker pressured her to have an abortion

On October 26, 2022, a second woman, who has not been identified, alleged at a press conference organized by attorney Gloria Allred that Herschel Walker pressured her to have an abortion in 1993 after a years-long extramarital relationship with him. Walker denied the allegation.

November 2022: Walker claims America is not ready for the green agenda

At a November 2022 rally, Walker told supporters that America isn't "ready for the green agenda. ... What we need to do is keep having those gas-guzzling cars. We got the good emissions under those cars".

November 2022: Walker describes abortion rights as among the 'things that people are not concerned about'

In May 2022, when asked about the impact of the issue on the November 2022 election, Walker described abortion rights as among the "things that people are not concerned about".

December 2022: Report of alleged altercation with ex-girlfriend Cheryl Parsa in 2005

In December 2022, The Daily Beast reported that Cheryl Parsa, an ex-girlfriend of Herschel Walker, alleged that in 2005, he put his hands on her neck and chest and swung a fist at her after she found him with another woman.

2022: U.S. Senate Election in Georgia

In 2022, Herschel Walker ran unsuccessfully as the Republican Party's nominee in the U.S. Senate election in Georgia.

2022: Walker's campaign responds to 2012 allegations

In 2022, during Herschel Walker's political campaign, his team stated that the allegations in the 2012 police report regarding threats made to Myka Dean were false, and that Walker maintained a good relationship with Dean's parents.