'Tone deaf': Mike Tyson unleashes on 'inappropriate' biopic drama

Mike Tyson hasn't pulled any punches after sending a tirade towards streaming service Hulu after the announcement of a biopic on his life.

Hulu is set to release the eight episode biopic 'Iron Mike', created by 'I, Tonya' screenwriter Steven Rogers, on the dramatic life of the former heavyweight champion.

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But Tyson was left less than impressed with with his lack of involvement and accused the biopic of "cultural misappropriation".

Hulu claimed they briefed Tyson, 54, on the show, but it still left a bitter taste in Tyson's mouth.

Tyson claimed Hulu needed to be "more sensitive" to African American culture after a tumultuous 2020, which saw the world wide acknowledgement of the social movement Black Lives Matter.

"Hulu's announcement to do an unauthorized mini-series of the Tyson story without compensation, although unfortunate, isn't surprising," he wrote on Instagram.

"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 the Tyson 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 there was a documentary on his life to be released shortly, which he had "authorised".

"Hollywood needs to be more sensitive to black experiences especially after all that has transpired in 2020. The real Mike Tyson authorized story is in development and will be announced in coming days," he wrote.

"Hulu to announce stealing a black athletes story during Black History month couldn't be more inappropriate or tone deaf."

Tyson's controversial past

There are plenty of other reasons why a battle over Tyson's story could be so contentious.

Tyson has a litany of past incidents that he could be viewed harshly by a modern audience if the miniseries touches on them, most notably his 1991 rape conviction and the domestic violence allegations from his ex-wife Robin Givens.

Givens has spoken recently about Tyson getting violent with her, which he freely admitted to doing in his own biography. In an infamous 1988 interview with Barbara Walters, Givens characterized her life with Tyson as “torture," "pure hell" and "worse than anything I could possibly imagine.”

Tyson has long loomed as one of the most famous and controversial figures in the history of not just boxing, but all of sports. His rise in the late 1980s positioned him as quite possibly the most feared boxer ever, up until his shocking loss to heavy underdog Buster Douglas in 1990.

with Jack Baer - Yahoo Sports US

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