The war of words surrounding Laila Ali has taken a more personal turn after one of Muhammad Ali’s former wives opened up about the affair that ended her marriage.
In a new interview with The Art of Dialogue, Khalilah Camacho-Ali said the most painful chapter of her marriage came when Ali began a relationship with Veronica Porsche while Khalilah and the boxing icon were still married.
“That was the worst pain I’ve ever went through in my entire life,” Khalilah said. “Everybody saw it. They didn’t do it behind closed doors. They did it in public.”
According to Khalilah, Ali admitted the relationship to her directly. She said Veronica and the legendary boxer were frequently seen together around town while she remained at home with their children.
Khalilah described the situation as humiliating, saying she could not understand why another woman would openly pursue a married man.
“She went with my husband while I was married,” Khalilah said. “Gallivanting all over the town and everything. That was just a disrespectful thing to do.”
Khalilah has frequently criticized Laila herself. Back in July 2025, Khalilah made headlines while attending Claressa Shields’s victory over Lani Daniels in Detroit. During that appearance, she said Laila “needs to stay in the kitchen” and later argued that Shields was the better fighter.
At the time, Shields—who has openly pushed for a fight with Laila Ali and said her team placed $15 million in escrow—laughed off the exchange and said she was trying to “whoop Laila Ali’s ass.”
Now, Khalilah is drawing a distinction between Laila and her mother. Despite her earlier comments about Laila’s boxing career, Khalilah said she respects the retired champion’s family life and business ventures.
“The thing about Laila is, she’s got her family. She’s building a legacy,” Khalilah said. “I respect her a lot.”
Instead, Khalilah said her lingering resentment is directed at Veronica, whose relationship with Muhammad Ali eventually led to marriage. Veronica became Ali’s third wife and later gave birth to Laila, who retired undefeated at 24-0 in 2007.
Khalilah said the affair ultimately forced her to leave the marriage—not because of money or fame, but because she no longer felt respected.
“You can keep your money,” she said. “It’s about respect.”
