Boxing legend Mike Tyson has dubbed Hulu “the streaming version of the slave master” after he allegedly stole his life story for profit without compensating him.
In a series of statements posted to his social media accounts on Saturday, Tyson reiterated that he does not support Hulu’s upcoming limited series, which chronicles his life in and out of the ring. “Mike” premieres on August 25th.
“Don’t let Hulu fool you. I don’t support her story about my life,” Tyson, 56, wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. “It’s not 1822. It’s 2022. They stole my life story and didn’t pay me. To Hulu executives, I’m just one [N-word] they can sell in the auction block.”
The former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world continued to make his complaint on Twitter. He called Hulu’s series is a “slavery takeover story about my life” and adds the hashtag “#slaveryisdead” in another tweet.
“Hulus’s model of stealing life rights from celebrities is tremendously greedy,” Tyson said tweeted. He added: “Hulu stole my story. You’re Goliath and I’m David. Heads will roll for that.”
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This isn’t the first time Tyson has spoken out against “Mike”. After Hulu first ordered the limited series in February 2021, Tyson hit back against the project.
“Hulus’s announcement of making an unauthorized miniseries of the Tyson story without compensation, while unfortunate, is not surprising,” Tyson said at the time. “This announcement, in the wake of social inequalities in our country, is a prime example of how corporate greed at Hulu has led to this unmusical cultural misappropriation of Tyson’s life story.”
He continued, “Making this announcement during Black History Month only reaffirms Hulu’s concern for dollars over respect for black history rights.
In March 2021, Tyson announced his own “authorized story” starring Jamie Foxx was in the works. Producers also include filmmaker Martin Scorsese and Foxx. “I’ve been trying to tell my story for a while,” he said.
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According to Hulu, “Mike,” an 8-episode limited series, “explores the turbulent ups and downs of Tyson’s boxing career and personal life – from a beloved global athlete to an outcast and back again… ‘Mike’ is a trespasser and an uncompromising view of it.” Life of Mike Tyson – and it’s a wild ride.” Trevante Rhodes will star as Tyson.
Executive producers Steven Rogers and Karin Gist addressed Tyson’s criticism at the Television Critics Association earlier this week.
“We actually couldn’t speak to him because his life rights were already taken, so that was never on the table. I would hope that if he saw it, he would change his mind,” Rogers told reporters Thursday for Entertainment Tonight. “For me as a writer, as a storyteller, I don’t really like being dependent on one source. I really like to do research and get all these different opinions and then build a story around it all. I don’t like being committed to just one person.”
Gist added, “It was also our intention to tell the story in a way that we are talking about more than just the events in his life, but place the story and give it context in the world and at the time. We really wanted to make sure we were as comprehensive as possible in researching and dramatizing the events of his life, and we were able to make sure we opened the doors for other conversations about these things as well.”
Tyson, through his rep on Thursday, replied in a statement to Entertainment Tonight: “My option to life rights expired years ago. Neither Hulu nor any of their snooty teams have ever attempted to negotiate with this black man. …
“They say this story is an exploration of a black man. It’s more like exploitation of a black man. Hulu thinks their tracks will be covered by hiring black sacrificial lambs to play the role of frontmen for their backdoor heist. I will always remember this blatant disregard for my dignity.”
USA TODAY Sports has reached out to Hulu for comment.
Contribution: The Associated Press
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