Jamaica-born bodybuilder Shawn Rhoden died Saturday of a reported heart attack, according to multiple reports.
The 46-year-old Rhoden won the coveted Mr Olympia title in 2018. Then 43, he became the oldest man ever to win the competition, defeating Phil Heath, who had never lost in his seven straight years of competing.
However, shortly thereafter, Rhoden was accused of sexually assaulting a female bodybuilder at a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah and was banned from competing pending the outcome of the matter. He pleaded not guilty to the charges but the allegations cost him his marriage to businesswoman Michelle Sugar. They have a six-year-old daughter, Cora.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1975, Rhoden got into bodybuilding in the early 1990s after migrating to the United States. He earned his pro card in 2010 when he finished 11th in the Mr Olympia competition, the premier event in the sport of bodybuilding.
A consistent contender at the Mr Olympia competition, Rhoden was third at the 2012 Mr Olympia and fourth in 2013. In both 2014 and 2015, Rhoden was third at Mr Olympia and he was second in 2016.
Rhoden’s death, which has shocked the bodybuilding and fitness community, follows on the heels of the passing of two-time Ms Olympia Fitness champion Jenny Lyn Powell in July. She died in her sleep following a seizure at the age of 49.