"Legally doesn't have a case" - Bob Arum gives his verdict on Mike Tyson vs. Hulu regarding the release of 'MIKE'
Veteran boxing promoter Bob Arum recently spoke about the Mike Tyson- Hulu controversy that has been dominating boxing headlines. The 90-year-old made a public appearance when he was interviewed by ES News.
Watch the full interview below:
Now-a-days, one of the most discussed news stories in the boxing world has been Mike Tyson’s chagrin over Hulu’s new release titled ‘MIKE’, a TV series about Mike Tyson's life. Tyson has been very vocal in his criticism of Hulu, calling them a 'slave master' and stating that they offered 'Iron Mike' nothing in terms of a financial recompense.
Bob Arum, who had been a practicing lawyer along with being a boxing promoter, pointed out that the champ didn’t have any solid legal grounds to present his case in court and stop Hulu. He said:
“I think legally he doesn’t have a case because anybody who is a public figure and performs in the public, anybody can write about what they did. That’s part of our democracy. I can see Mike being put out that he didn’t get a share in the proceeds, but it is what it is.”
Prior to becoming a boxing promoter, Arum was employed as an attorney in the tax division of the United States for the Southern District of New York. He had a successful legal practice until 1980, a practice of more than 15 years.
Someone should get fired from Hulu. Producers were lying to my friends saying I supported the unauthorized series about my life. twitter.com/wbcmoro/status…
Arum’s opinion on the legality of the situation is spot on. Mike Tyson has been protesting heavily on social media since the announcement of the show and has rallied a lot of support from his celebrity friends. However, Hulu has not officially made a comment. Hence, the project can be assumed to not be put to a halt even with Tyson’s objections.
Mike Tyson vs. Hulu: Story until now
The filming for 'MIKE' began over a year ago. At that point as well, Mike Tyson came out and said that the series misappropriates black culture in America. Hulu’ s decision to make a mini-series of the Tyson story without compensating Tyson, although unfortunate, isn’t surprising.
It's a marker of the social disparities in the US and is a prime example of how corporate greed leads to a tone-deaf cultural misappropriation of a minority figure's life story.
The team behind the show said that they were not able to secure the life rights to Tyson’s life because they were already taken. Tyson himself then refuted that claim. The producers, however, are not legally bound to consult Mike Tyson as he's a public figure.
To put it simply, producers didn't deem it necessary to seek Tyson's perspective for the story to make it truthful and comprehensive, as much of Tyson's life has been public. The champ's argument is that Hulu is using this only as an excuse to tell a false yet profitable story at his expense.
Hollywood has produced movies around the lives of celebrities that have been met with criticism from them and their families in the past. 'MIKE' is another name in a long line of public figures who felt that they were unjustly portrayed on the big screen.
Screenwriter and executive producer for 'MIKE,' Steven Rogers, has said in an interview that he himself wouldn’t have preferred to rely on Tyson as the only source for his story. The series is set to be released on the intended date, undeterred by the former champ's protests.