Mike Tyson Slams Hulu Series About His Life: "They Stole My Life Story and Didn't Pay Me"

Trevante Rhodes is transforming into boxer Mike Tyson in Hulu's forthcoming drama. On July 20, the streaming giant released the full trailer for "Mike" — an eight-episode limited series that centers on the polarizing former heavyweight champ — showing flashes of Tyson's early childhood days, boxing career, and tumultuous relationship with ex-wife Robin Givens (portrayed by Laura Harrier).

Tyson spoke out against the series once again on Aug. 6, sharing an Instagram post that read, "Don't let Hulu fool you. 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 in the caption of the image, "Hulu is the streaming version of the slave master. They stole my story and didn't pay me."

Just three months before Rhodes's casting news broke in May 2021, Tyson slammed the Hulu project, originally titled "Iron Mike." "Hulu's announcement to do an unauthorized mini-series of the Tyson story without compensation, although unfortunate, isn't surprising," he wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post. "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." The boxer added that the "real Mike Tyson authorized story" was on the way. There's been speculation that the project he approves of is another limited series, starring Jamie Foxx, with Antoine Fuqua and Martin Scorsese executive producing, according to Variety. There have been no updates on that series.

Despite Tyson's protests, the "Mike" team proceeded with the show with plans to "dig deeper" into the story behind the boxer's life and public controversies. "The show is not meant to glorify his life," showrunner Karin Gist told Entertainment Weekly. "We were never trying to say that Mike Tyson is a hero or Mike Tyson is a villain. Our goal was to take a very complicated and controversial figure and try to get under the hood of what he was praised and vilified for while staying true to our North Star of 'no one person is one thing.'"

Watch the trailers for "Mike" ahead.

"Mike" will premiere on Hulu on Aug. 25.

Trevante Rhodes stars as Mike Tyson with Laura Harrier playing his ex-wife Robin Givens. The cast also includes Russell Hornsby, Harvey Keitel, and Li Eubanks.