Mike Tyson ripped into Hulu on Twitter and Instagram Saturday over the streamer’s upcoming series detailing his personal and professional life. The former undisputed heavyweight champion accused the company of stealing his life story.
“Don’t let Hulu fool you,” Tyson wrote on Instagram. “I don’t support their story about my life.”
“It’s not 1822. It’s 2022,” the boxing legend continued. “They stole my life story and didn’t pay me. To Hulu executives I’m just a n****r they can sell on the auction block.”
On Twitter, Tyson called Hulu a “slave master” and called “Hulu’s model of stealing life rights of celebrities” egregious and greedy. He promises that heads will roll.
…I'll never forget what Hulu stole from me. (2/2) pic.twitter.com/kZKkY4hX5K
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) August 6, 2022
Hulu’s model of stealing life rights of celebrities is egregiously greedy #headswillroll
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) August 6, 2022
“Hulu stole my story,” Tyson added. “They’re Goliath and I’m David. Heads will roll for this.”
Hulu stole my story. They’re Goliath and I’m David. Heads will roll for this.
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) August 6, 2022
Tyson has previously spoken about the series, which is titled, Mike. He criticized the project after Hulu announced it in February of 2021.
“Hulu’s announcement to do an unauthorized miniseries of my life, although unfortunate, isn’t surprising,” he said in a statement to Entertainment Tonight. “This announcement on the heels of social disparities in our country is a prime example of how Hulu’s corporate greed led to this tone-deaf cultural misappropriation of my life story.
“To make this announcement during Black History Month only confirms Hulu’s concern for dollars over respect for Black story rights,” Tyson added. “Hollywood needs to be more sensitive to Black experiences, especially after all that has transpired in 2020.”
Tyson announced last March that Jamie Foxx would play him in an authorized project produced by Martin Scorsese and Antoine Fuqua.
The producers of the project addressed Tyson’s criticism, with Steven Rogers telling ET, “We actually couldn’t talk to him because his life rights were already taken, so that was never on the table. I would hope that if he watches it, that he would change his opinion. For me, as a writer, as a storyteller, I don’t really like to be reliant on just one source. I really like to do the research and get all these different opinions and then put a story around all of that. I don’t like to be beholden to just one person.”
Rogers, who spoke to the outlet during the Television Critics Association panel on Thursday, said they intended to tell Tyson’s story while providing context.
“My life rights option expired years ago,” Tyson said in a statement through his representative. “Hulu nor any of their supercilious team ever tried to engage in any negotiations with this Black man.”
The statement called the project an “exploitation of a Black man.” He said the streamer did not consider his worth or his family.
Mike, an eight-episode limited series, will air on Hulu starting Aug. 25.
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