Mike Tyson claims Michael Jackson was 'an expert in seduction' and not as innocent as he seemed

"Did he play me?" Mike Tyson wondered as he recalled how Michael Jackson completely ignored him
(L) Mike Tyson attends Pegasus World Cup 2025 at Gulfstream Park  Hallandale, Florida; (R) Michael Jackson attends the G&P Foundation for Cancer Research event in NYC ((L) Getty Images | Manny Hernandez; (R) Getty Images |Robin Platzer/Liaison )
(L) Mike Tyson attends Pegasus World Cup 2025 at Gulfstream Park Hallandale, Florida; (R) Michael Jackson attends the G&P Foundation for Cancer Research event in NYC ((L) Getty Images | Manny Hernandez; (R) Getty Images |Robin Platzer/Liaison )

Renowned for his dominance in the boxing ring, Mike Tyson had a striking rapport with Michael Jackson, even though their relationship initially underwent challenges. Speaking on TI's expediTIously podcast, Tyson admitted that he was not initially a fan of Jackson. However, after spending time with him, his perception changed, and he realized that the hitmaker was a completely different person from what he had originally expected.

NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 05: Mike Tyson attends the Mike Tyson Cares & We 2 Matter Fundr
Mike Tyson attends the Mike Tyson Cares & We 2 Matter Fundraise in Newport Beach, California. (Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Phillip Faraone) 

Speaking on TI's expediTIously podcast, Tyson recalled an early encounter with Jackson, saying, "I met Mike one day; I think he was at a concert in Cleveland. I'm with Don King," as per The Sun US. He described the moment, stating, "So I and Don come in, right? And I'm champ and everything, did all this s**, undisputed." Tyson then recounted how Don King greeted Jackson with a peace sign, saying, "So Don goes and Don gives Michael Jackson the 'peace' sign, like this. And then so Michael gives Don the 'peace' sign, and so I give Michael the 'peace' sign, and Michael puts his hand down."



 

Feeling sidelined, Tyson questioned what had happened, saying, "In a way, I say, 'Did he play me? Nah, he didn't play me; he just didn’t see me. I knew he didn’t play me because I'm a f**king champ." However, as Tyson and King continued backstage, he felt the disrespect continued. Tyson continued, "So we went backstage, right? So I'm backstage, and so there's his backstage, some of his singers and stuff." As the concert ended, Tyson described the moment Jackson approached King but ignored him, saying, "He's on stage, it's over, I'm signing autographs and stuff, so Michael comes over and he talks to Don; he doesn't talk to me. I say, "Let me just go on and meet Mike," because that's really why I'm here; I want to meet Mike."



 

When he finally introduced himself, Tyson recalled Jackson’s response, sharing,  "And then I go over to meet Mike, … and he goes like this, 'Don't I know you from somewhere? Where do I know you from?'" The interaction left Tyson stunned, and while trying to recover from the moment, Tyson replied, "No, I'm just a fan. Pleasure to meet you, sir." He added, "He said, 'OK,' and then he got out and went in the car."



 

Tyson then recalled that a mutual friend eventually reached out, saying Jackson wanted to meet. Despite his initial hesitation, he decided to go, explaining, "So I got on a plane, went over there, hung out, and we just started hanging out together," as per Lipstick Alley. Not only did they reconcile, but Tyson also gained a new perspective on Jackson. "He wasn't some fucking stupid little feeble-looking' boy like Peter Pan. He's f--king sharp. He knew what f**kin' time it was. It blew my mind." “I thought he was a f**king idiot until I met him that day,” he admitted. Tyson described Jackson as a 'player' and someone skilled in seduction, even giving him advice on attracting women.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

A star-studded ‘American Horror Story’ reunion is coming sooner than you think, and it’s bringing witches, legends and a few surprises with it.
6 hours ago
Tom Hardy returns as Harry Da Souza as the Harrigans prepare for another fight in ‘MobLand’ Season 2.
10 hours ago
Jimmy and Kayla played colleagues-turned-best-friends for five seasons of the hit comedy series, but now we've an unfortunate news for the show.
10 hours ago
The latest episode of the animated series features a deadly fight between Apocalypse and the X-Men, Magneto and Professor X.
11 hours ago
The cancellation of 'The Boroughs' came as a surprise, as it logged over 1.2 billion watch minutes within a week of its premiere
14 hours ago
The stars teased possible cast changes, shared an update on Season 2's story, and addressed the show's behind-the-scenes shake-up
15 hours ago
Rob Reiner earned an Emmy nod for his performance as Albert Schnurr in three episodes of 'The Bear.'
16 hours ago
After the latest episodes dropped, fans started asking about Season 4. Here’s everything viewers need to know about the Netflix comedy’s future.
17 hours ago
Noah Wyle serves as the show's lead star and also has credits for writing and directing episodes of the award-winning series
17 hours ago
Caleb Groen faced off against Molly Grove from Washington and Taylor A'Latorre from Texas in his fifth game
18 hours ago