Muhammad Ali’s Heartbroken Daughter: Dad Didn’t Care About Me

The beautiful boxer daughter of Muhammad Ali joined Jamie Foxx in a tribute to her father at the 2016 BET Awards. But the glowing words from Laila Ali in praise of her father's "generosity and love" covered up her own bitter upbringing!

The National ENQUIRER had the scoop in 2002 as Laila prepared to go public about her miserable relationship with her father.  "Laila's dad was a hero to millions but not to her," revealed a publishing source who had seen a planned book project by the young beauty. "She suffered extreme loneliness as Muhammad Ali's youngest daughter, and she wanted to run away from home when she was only 4 years old."

"She grew up feeling angry and hostile," added the source. "The only thing that straightened out her life was a run-in with the law. She finally learned responsibility from a group home." That still didn't keep Laila from supposedly revealing the details of her sad upbringing.

"Ali never discussed with his daughter what was going on in her life," said the source. "He was too busy dealing with his own life. Laila Ali didn't like much about her father — his Muslim religion, his big, slobbery kisses, his outgoing personality. He was so busy in public giving out autographs, photos and advice, he would walk out of a restaurant or a mosque and forget he had come with his kids. Then he'd eventually remember and return to gather them up!"

The insider claimed that Laila was so isolated that when she was sexually molested by a relative at age 5 — and again at age 10 — that there was no one she could tell. "The fondling opened the floodgates to embarrassment and shame," said the source.

The ENQUIRER was also there when Laila's fell apart during Ali's bitter divorce from her mom Veronica (pictured) in 1985. "Veronica was absolutely heartsick over his roving eye," a friend dished to The ENQUIRER. "She told me: 'He's the greatest when it comes to chasing other women.'"

But the marriage finally came to an end when Aaisha Ali — who claimed to have been only 12 years old when she began her romance with Ali — sued for child support. Aashia even claimed that the she and Ali were "married" in an Islamic ceremony in Miami, while he was still married to his second wife!

"The palimony suit and the support case hit Veronica like a bombshell," a close friend disclosed to The ENQUIRER. "In January or February, she told Ali she was going to file for divorce. She said to me: 'Ali just shrugged.'"

Laila was only 7 years old. She and her sister Hana, 8, stayed with Veronica under the joint custody agreement that would later scar her for life!