Muhammad Ali’s Daughter Laila Opens Up About His Death: “It Was Time for Him to Go”

Muhammad Ali’s daughter Laila appeared on ‘Today’ and ‘Good Morning America’ to discuss her father's death.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

Unless you grew up watching Muhammad Ali fight during his heyday, most of what you know about him is probably limited to what you've learned while watching old footage of him, listening to his most memorable quotes, and reading anecdotes about his life. But there is obviously so much more to know about Ali that extends beyond just who he was as a fighter.

On Monday morning, Laila Ali—one of nine children Ali left behind when he died on Friday night—appeared on the Today show to talk about her father's life and legacy as well as his death. She was only on the show for about five minutes, so she couldn't address everything, but she did share some stories about Ali that you may not have heard before. She also touched on the Parkinson's disease that he spent three decades battling and said that, while she will miss him, she knows he's in a much better place now.

"It was time for him to go," she said. "I know he's in a better place now and he's talking again and moving again and doing all the things that he couldn't do in his body...I'm happy for that even though I will miss him deeply."

Laila also made an appearance on Good Morning America on Monday morning and talked about how Ali was surrounded by all nine of his kids when he passed away "in a peaceful way" Friday evening. You can watch her appearance on GMA here:

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

Ali's funeral will take place in his hometown of Louisville, Ky. on Friday and will be open to the public. Laila is hoping for a huge turnout, which is what she says her father would have wanted.

"He said he wanted it in an arena so everybody can come and be there," she said. "It’s like, trust me, if 10 million people come, that’s not going to be enough for him. He’s going to be like, ‘That’s it?’"

Ali's funeral service will be streamed online for those who can't attend it in person.

Latest in Sports