Mike Tyson Slams "Slave Master" Hulu Series For "Stealing" Life Story

Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has accused an unauthorized television drama of stealing his life story, comparing the streaming platform behind the upcoming series to a "slave master." "Mike," which premieres on US streamer Hulu August 25, is a scripted drama that re-enacts moments from the controversial fighter's life, from his early childhood and through his 1992 rape conviction.

"Hulu is the streaming version of the slave master. They stole my story and didn't pay me," wrote Tyson on Instagram.

He added: "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****r they can sell on the auction block," he wrote, using asterisks in place of letters.

Hulu, which is only available in the United States, is majority-owned by Disney.

The show depicts Tyson being bullied as a young child with a lisp, his teenage years in and out of prison after joining a Brooklyn street gang, and his early start in boxing.

While the eight-part limited series shows Tyson in the ring during various famous bouts, it concentrates on his turbulent private life.

One episode focuses on Desiree Washington, the 18-year-old beauty pageant contestant who accused Tyson of rape in 1991. He was convicted the following year, and jailed for three years.

The episode tells the events of the rape in an Indianapolis hotel room, and the ensuing trial, from Washington's perspective and with her narration.

Creator and screenwriter Steven Rogers said the filmmakers actually "couldn't talk to" Tyson because "his life rights were already taken" by another project.

But he also pointed to the benefits of an unauthorized take on Tyson's life, saying "I don't like to