Mike Tyson believes he’s been spared from death more times than he can count. The legendary boxer opened up in a candid conversation with actress Rosie Perez for Interview Magazine, sharing stories of survival that range from wild to sobering. Among the most striking revelations were his narrow escapes involving dangerous animals, psychedelic experiences, and a near-miss with an AIDS diagnosis.
We asked Rosie Perez to interview Mike Tyson before his big bout with Jake Paul. Here’s one wild excerpt. https://t.co/XdQOrUx0q1 pic.twitter.com/hI6LmDHFKF
— Jake Nevins (@jhnevins) November 12, 2024
“There’s no way I should be here talking to you right now. All my friends are dead,” Tyson told Perez as their conversation drew to a close. Reflecting on his troubled past, Tyson spoke about losing many friends to drug overdoses and AIDS, recalling one particularly close call. “Me and my friend both had sex with this girl at the same time and they both died of AIDS. I didn’t catch AIDS. Raw, too,” he said.
A shocked Perez responded, “That’s crazy. You have a spirit hovering over you,” to which Tyson replied, “Amen. It’s something, sister.” The boxer’s raw honesty painted a vivid picture of how he feels protected by some greater force despite his dangerous past.
Tyson’s survival stories have long been a topic of fascination. He’s known for his affinity for wild animals—most famously keeping pet tigers—and has also publicly experimented with psychedelics, including intense experiences involving the psychedelic toad. In the interview, Tyson touched on his brushes with death and acknowledged how extraordinary it is that he’s still alive and thriving.
Tyson has been married three times—first to actress Robin Givens, then to pediatrician Monica Turner, and currently to Lakiha “Kiki” Spicer, whom he wed in 2014. He has seven children and a storied past, which he delved into in his autobiography, The Undisputed Truth. Tyson even joked about his reckless behavior during his marriage to Turner, admitting that his affairs and wild lifestyle contributed to their divorce.
Tyson will box YouTuber-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on November 15, and the match will be streamed globally on Netflix.
