Documentary Reveals Ricky Williams Was Sexually Abused by His Father

The Dolphins' Ricky Williams has always been one of the NFL's most complicated players. ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary series, which also brought us The U, focuses on Williams's life and his hiatus from football in 2004 in Run, Ricky, Run. It premieres tomorrow night on the channel, with a special...

By Kyle Munzenrieder

April 26, 2010

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

The Dolphins' Ricky Williams has always been one of the NFL's most complicated players. ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary series, which also brought us The U, focuses on Williams's life and his hiatus from football in 2004 in Run, Ricky, Run. It premieres tomorrow night on the channel, with a special screening tonight at the Colony Theatre in Miami Beach benefiting the Ricky Williams Foundation.

NBC Miami reports that one of the most shocking revelations in the film is that Williams was sexually abused by his father.

In 1983, six-year-old Ricky told his mother that Errick Williams, Sr., had been forcing him to take nude photos of his father with a Polaroid camera. His mom called police, and her now former husband, to whom she hasn't spoken in decades, was arrested and charged with "sexually annoying" a child.

Williams Sr. was interviewed on camera and didn't deny the charges, saying he can't remember if photos were taken.

"When [Ricky] grew up," his mother says in the film, "he wanted to be a policeman so he could shoot his father and get away with it because a policeman can shoot you and not get in trouble."

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.