Mike Tyson is Very Unhappy About Hulu’s Biographical Series

Mike Tyson at the premiere of
Mike Tyson at the premiere of "Draft Day". Photo by Eric Charbonneau/REX/Shutterstock (4301683gl)

If there’s one person who definitely won’t be watching the new series about Mike Tyson, it’s Mike Tyson. 

August 25 will see the premiere of an unauthorized limited series about the heavyweight boxer, with Moonlight actor Trevante Rhodes starring in the lead role. Titled Mike, the show’s synopsis says it will explore “explores the tumultuous ups and downs of Tyson’s boxing career and personal life — from being a beloved global athlete to a pariah and back again.”

“We just wanted to tell an unbiased story and have the audience decide what they think or feel,” said showrunner Karen Gist. “Challenging what people think they know about Mike and hoping that they come away from the series with something else to think about. Whether you like him or hate him, does the story make you question how complicit society has been?”

Tyson, meanwhile, has hit out at Hulu, claiming that the streaming network did not offer any financial compensation to adapt his story.

“Don’t let Hulu fool you,” read his Instagram post. “I don’t support their story about my life. It’s not 1822. It’s 2022. They stole my life story and didn’t pay me. To Hulu executives I’m just a n***** they can sell on the auction block.”

The athlete further expressed his anger by referring to Hulu as “the streaming version of the slave master.”

In addition to Rhodes, Mike is set to star Harvey Keitel, Cus D’Amato, Laura Harrier, Russell Hornsby, and Li Eubanks.