Boxing powerhouse Christy Martin is opening up about her initial reactions to seeing actor Ben Foster fully in character on the set of her biopic, Christy.
“I basically freaked out, and I told them, ‘Do not let that man near me,’” Martin, 57, shared during an exclusive interview with Us Weekly on Wednesday, November 5. “We were never in the same area during the entire shooting of the film.”
Martin recalled one day that she “walked out” while the cast was filming in an arena. “I could have gone out 30 doors. I walk out the door that Ben Foster is sitting outside of, and I immediately started cussing him out,” she recalled. “And then I realized that’s not Jim Martin. And you know, I had to reel myself back in, because I really, I don’t know, it was very intense.”
In Christy, which premieres Friday, November 7, Foster, 45, plays Christy’s former boxing coach and abusive ex-husband Jim. The film focuses on Christy’s life, not shying away from the challenges she encountered.
Related: Who Is Christy Martin? What to Know About Boxer Played by Sydney Sweeney
Christy Martin’s life story is getting the big screen treatment in the movie Christy, starring Sydney Sweeney. Martin is a legendary boxer who paved the way for women in the sport. She earned the nickname “The Coal Miner’s Daughter” due to her father’s occupation. While Martin is known for her success in the ring, she […]
Sydney Sweeney stars in the title role, with Merritt Weaver, Katy O’Brian, Chad Coleman and more rounding out the cast. (O’Brian, 36, plays Lisa Holewyne, Christy’s former rival turned partner, who she married in 2017.)
While speaking to Us, Christy described how difficult it was watching the events of her life unfold on screen.
“It’s crazy, the first time I watched it, it was just me and Lisa , and I don’t even remember seeing some of the scenes,” Christy said. “When I watched it, when I truly, truly watched it, was in Toronto. And I asked Lisa, I’m like, ‘That scene wasn’t in it when we saw it.’ She said, ‘Yes, it was. Your mind, your brain just shut it down for you because you weren’t ready to see it yet.’ It was hard. It’s a lot. I mean, this is somebody [who] tried to kill me and left me for dead, and to see that played out is tough.”
Black Bear /Courtesy Everett Collection
In 2010, Christy was stabbed and shot by Jim, who attacked her for trying to leave him during an argument. Two years later, Jim was found guilty of attempted second-degree murder with a firearm and aggravated battery. He was sentenced to 25 years behind bars. Jim died in November 2024 while serving his sentence at Graceville Correctional Facility in Florida.
Though it was difficult, Christy said it was important to share her story for any viewers who may be experiencing a similar situation. Christy told Us she hopes to give others “strength.”
“I’ve been to, I can’t tell you how many different cities … we’ve done showings and at the Q&A’s, I have so many women wait[ing] to talk to me in private, to share their story, their daughters, their neighbors, somebody close to them,” Christy told Us. “Whether it be about the domestic violence, [or] a lot of people come and talk to me about the sexuality and trying to come out to their parents and not being accepted. … That’s why we did the movie. That’s why.”
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Related: Sydney Sweeney Is Unrecognizable as Boxer Christy Martin In Biopic
Sydney Sweeney is getting into character with a new look as she prepares to portray boxer Christy Martin in an upcoming biopic. “Well the cats out of the bag thanks to some paps in bushes so here’s a little bts from my film I’m working on right now,” Sweeney, 27, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, […]
Christy continued, “This movie is 100 percent about helping others, showing them a path out of their situation.”
Christy is playing in theaters throughout the U.S. beginning Friday, November 7.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.