Mike Tyson once moved Diddy's hand away from his leg during awkward interview: "He crossed a line..."
Mike Tyson seemed uncomfortable during his weird encounter with Sean 'Diddy' Combs! In 1998, Tyson, Combs, and fellow rapper and record producer Heavy D appeared on an episode of Keenan Ivory Wayans' talk show, titled 'The Keenan Ivory Wayans Show,' and at one point, during the episode, Tyson can be seen taking Combs' hand off his leg. In the episode, Combs narrated a tale about a New York gig where he fell over. As per The Mirror, Combs shared, "So I was performing and trying to give it my all; I was busting my a**. I'm talking about when you fall flat on your back, but I tried to play it off. You know when you fall but you act like no one has seen you. You just keep on rocking. I was embarrassed for like weeks."
After hearing Combs' story, Tyson referred to the rapper's song, which revolves around making money, and quipped, "It truly is all about the Benjamins." Following that, Tyson seemingly moved away from Combs' hand as they sat on the couch together. Then, Wayans took a commercial break; meanwhile, Combs adjusted his stance by recrossing his arms. After the episode dropped, the clip of Tyson moving away Combs' hand from his leg went viral.
At that moment, many users rushed to the comments section of the video to share their thoughts on Tyson and Combs' odd interaction. One social media user wrote, "Diddy was trying to touch Mike Tyson, and Mike had to move his hand away." Another netizen penned, "This man completely repositioned himself on the sofa. Nobody does that unless there is some type of uneasiness." One web sleuth wrote, "The scariest part is that if P. Diddy was willing to do this live, in front of a studio audience, as well as, to Iron Mike F***ing Tyson, it would mean he can literally try anyone, anytime." Another one chimed in, "Who noticed the way Mike Tyson moved Diddy's hand from his leg Diddy was getting excited but Mike put him in his place in a very discreet manner."
During a live television broadcast, the former heavyweight boxing champion spilled the beans on his awkward encounter with Combs. While sharing his side of the story, Tyson revealed the reason behind his instant response to Combs' physical contact. “He was coming onto me. I respect Diddy, but in that moment, it felt like he crossed a line," Tyson said in a clear undertone of discomfort, according to Sports Amazing Today.
In the same interview, Tyson further elaborated, “We were having a good time on set, just talking and joking around, but when he touched me, I wasn’t expecting it. I’m a guy who’s all about respect and personal space, so I did what felt natural in that moment.” Along with this, Tyson addressed the whole incident by saying, “Look, it wasn’t anything too serious, but everyone knows I don’t let anyone get too close if I’m not comfortable with it.” Despite the entire controversy, Tyson stated that he doesn't have any beef with Combs. Tyson continued, "Diddy and I are cool. We’ve been friends for years, and this won’t change that.”