George Foreman, the boxing great who went on to become a grill entrepreneur and occasional TV star, has died. He was 76.

Foreman’s official Instagram account announced the news on Friday night. “Our hearts are broken. With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr., who peacefully departed on March 21, 2025, surrounded by loved ones,” the statement read. “A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand- and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility, and purpose.”

A two-time world heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist, Foreman is widely considered one of the greatest boxers of all time, yet his achievements in the ring seldom overshadowed his achievements as a businessman or his convictions as a born-again Christian. He also worked as a ringside commentator for HBO for 12 years, and appeared on numerous television series, including the short-lived ABC sitcom George, the reality travel series Better Late Than Never, and the music competition show The Masked Singer.

The post on Foreman’s account went on to describe the late boxer as “a humanitarian, an Olympian, and two-time heavyweight champion of the world” who “was deeply respected — a force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name — for his family.”

The post concluded, “We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers, and kindly ask for privacy as we honor the extraordinary life of a man we were blessed to call our own.”

Sheryl Lee Ralph, who starred on George with the boxer in 1993, paid tribute to him on Instagram. “My heart is with the Foreman family today. George had a smile as wide as his spirit and a heart full of kindness,” she wrote. “I’ll never forget how eager he was to learn, grow, and give his all.”

Of the images she included with the post she wrote, “These photos take me back to 1993, when we filmed his very first sitcom, George. From the ring to the screen, he showed up with joy, humility, and heart. Rest well, my friend.”

Born in 1949 in Marshall, Texas, Foreman began his boxing career as an amateur in 1967, rising through the ranks and eventually defeating the Soviet Union boxer Jonas Čepulis in just two rounds to win the gold medal for heavyweight boxing at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

Foreman went pro in 1969, amassing a 37-0 record over the next four years. He faced off against undefeated reigning champion Joe Frazier in 1973 for his first shot at the Heavyweight Championship, ultimately emerging victorious over Frazier, in his first defeat, in January 1973. Foreman successfully defended his title against José Roman and Ken Norton, then lost it in his only fight against Muhammad Ali — his first professional loss — at the iconic “Rumble in the Jungle” face-off in 1974.

Following a yearlong hiatus, Foreman won five more fights in 1976 and early 1977 before being defeated by Jimmy Young, resulting in a near-death experience that prompted his unofficial retirement and his conversion to Christianity. He joined the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, a Holiness Pentecostal in Houston, eventually becoming its pastor in 1980 and opening a youth center.

Foreman returned to the ring in 1987, launching a 24-fight winning streak that lasted three years before his third-ever loss to Evander Holyfield in 1991 in a championship challenge. Three years later, he successfully defeated Michael Moorer to regain heavyweight championship status, becoming the oldest fighter to ever hold a world championship at age 45.

Foreman continued boxing until 1997, when he was defeated by Shannon Briggs, prompting his retirement with an overall pro record of 76-5. He then worked as a ringside analyst for HBO for more than a decade.

During his comeback, Foreman began promoting Salton, Inc.’s portable grill in 1994. The company ultimately paid the boxer over $137 million for the rights to use his name on the product. The grills ultimately sold more than 100 million units, and helped popularize electric grills as an alternative to traditional charcoal grills.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly’s free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Foreman was also an occasional TV star, first acting in a 1975 episode of The Six Million Dollar Man. He played himself in an episode of Sanford and Son the following year, and also played himself on Home Improvement in 1992. Foreman starred as George Foster, a retired boxer who works with a youth program, on George, which ran for nine episodes on ABC in 1993.

Foreman was also one of four main stars on the NBC travel series Better Late Than Never. The first season followed Foreman’s travels to Southeast Asia in 2016 alongside William Shatner, Henry Winkler, and Terry Bradshaw, while the second season featured the same group exploring Europe in 2017 and 2018.

On the big screen, Foreman was one of the subjects of the 1996 documentary When We Were Kings, which focused on the “Rumble in the Jungle.” Boxer Charles Shufford portrayed him in Michael Mann‘s Will Smith–starring 2001 biopic, Ali, which dramatized the same fight. Foreman got his own biopic, Big George Foreman, starring Khris Davis, from Christian production company Affirm Films and Sony in 2023.

One of Foreman’s most recent claims to fame was his appearance on season 8 of The Masked Singer in 2022. As Venus Fly Trap, he was eliminated in episode 7 after his performance of the Temptations’ “Get Ready.” Foreman reflected on his time on the show — and his other TV appearances — in an interview with Entertainment Weekly following his elimination. 

“I’ll go back so far as television appearances in the golden days, on Sanford and Son. I enjoyed that,” he said when asked about his favorite TV projects. “Whenever it replays people call me up like, ‘George, I just saw you!’ And of course, for a while I had my own television show called George. And that was a lot of fun.”

Foreman said The Masked Singer was “fun,” too, but he still considered it a workout. “It was work to put on a costume,” he said. “I’m so happy because you’d think when you retire from boxing, you don’t need to exercise anymore, and I went that way for a while, but I kept at it with sit-ups and push-ups and things like that. Little did I know when it was time for that costume, my push-ups and sit-ups came in handy again.”

Foreman is survived by his wife, his five sons — all named George Foreman — and his six daughters.