Former American boxing champion Mike Tyson has accused the upcoming Hulu series of “stealing his life story” and likened the platform to a “slave trader”.
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The new drama series Mike, which premieres August 25 on Hulu, follows the boxer’s life from childhood through his in-ring stunts to his 1992 rape conviction.
“They stole my life story and didn’t pay me,” Mike Tyson ranted on Instagram on Saturday.
“Hulu is the streaming equivalent of a slave trader,” he added.
The platform, which is only available in the United States, is majority owned by Disney.
One of the series’ eight episodes focuses on Desiree Washington and takes the perspective of the 18-year-old beauty queen who accused Mike Tyson of rape in 1991. The star was convicted the following year and spent three years in prison.
Steven Rogers, creator and screenwriter of “Mike,” claims he can’t “discuss” with Mr. Tyson because another project already had “the rights” to the story of his life.
“I don’t like to rely on a single source,” he says, defending his biographical work, which was written without the former heavyweight champion’s consent.
The series revisits the domestic violence allegations that plague Mike Tyson, but also recounts the abuse the star endured during his childhood, the loss of his mother to cancer as a teenager, and his struggles with drug addiction and mental health.
“I hope that if he watches (the series) he will change his mind,” added Steven Rogers.