Sarah Hearon
·4 min read
As Oscar De La Hoya revisits his controversial past in The Golden Boy, he has his current girlfriend, Holly Sonders, by his side.
The retired boxer started dating Sonders following his split from Millie Corretjer. The former spouses — who share son Oscar Jr. and daughters Nina and Victoria — split in 2016 after 15 years of marriage but didn’t file for divorce until January 2023.
In the meantime, De La Hoya, who is also the father of Jacob (with ex-girlfriend Toni Alvarado), Devon (with former fling Angelique McQueen) and Atiana (with ex-fiancée Shanna Moakler), started dating Sonders.
2021
The twosome met at a boxing match — where Sonders, a former sports broadcaster, was interviewing athletes — in June 2021. They were seen on a date two months later.
De La Hoya and Sonders went Instagram official in November 2021. That same month, she debuted her tattoo dedicated to De La Hoya’s gold medal from the 1992 Summer Olympics.
“Dear Oscar, You have everything in life. There is nothing I can give you that you haven’t received already … except for this,” she captioned the reveal. “This tattoo signifies the day you became The Golden Boy. The moment you won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics and looked up at your mother who had passed a few months prior. When deciding on an artist to bring this moment to life, there was no question that I wanted it to be your sisters husband @tattooesteban. I love you @oscardelahoya.”
2022
De La Hoya denied two sexual assault allegations at the height of his career in the 90s. In 2022, he was under fire again when a former colleague filed a lawsuit against him, claiming he sexually assaulted her twice during a trip to Mexico in 2020. (While a previous 1998 civil suit against De La Hoya was settled outside of court in 2001, the status of the 2022 suit is unclear at the time of publication.)
Sonders stayed by De La Hoya’s side as he denied the claims. In a statement to the Los Angeles Times at the time, De La Hoya said: “With the 24-hour news cycle we all find ourselves in, more often than not, malicious and unjust accusations are interpreted as truth without the evidence to support their erroneous claims. I am confident my legal team will resolve this matter and prove my innocence.”
That December, Sonders and De La Hoya celebrated their second Christmas together. “Bonds growing stronger. Wishing you all love, peace, and the ability to see what’s important and what makes you happy. Find your happiness at any cost, don’t waste any time,” she wrote via Instagram. “Thank you to all in Oscar’s circle who have accepted me as their own. I love you.”
2023
De La Hoya wrote a lengthy tribute to Sonders on her 36th birthday, calling her girlfriend “the most caring, sweetest, and selfless person.”
“I love you for so so many reasons but the one that stands out the most is your heart, you are truly one of a kind not only because your hot as hell but because the tons of other qualities that make up your heart and how you treat others with respect and kindness,” he penned. “You took your time in knowing me and caring for me, you go out of your way to always put me first and make me always feel like your king, you are so so selfless and I truly appreciate everything you do for me and others. I love you to the moon and back, only we know what we have and I’m proud to say that you will be my legacy. I’ve done it all in life from winning Gold to championship belts but the one thing my life has been missing is love and I finally have it with you and I promise I will love you and take care of your heart forever. Te amo Holly (Boobi) ❤️❤️❤️❤️.”
That July, De La Hoya’s The Golden Boy was released by HBO. While Sonders doesn’t appear in the doc — which included Moakler recalling his various affairs — she supported her man.
“Congratulations on a huge week promoting your documentary in NYC. You are a true star in every sense of the word @oscardelahoya and I’m lucky to spend my life with you,” she gushed.
