Mike Tyson — who has six kids from three relationships — was friends with the late Michael Jackson, but insisted he would never have left his offspring alone with the singer, because of his “reputation.”
He blamed the parents of those who have accused the King of Pop of abuse for putting their children in that position. Speaking to Michael Rapaport on his “I AM RAPAPORT” podcast, he said: “The parents have to be responsible for that s—. I just thought the fact that these kids, Michael is telling them, ‘If anyone knows about this we’re both gonna go to prison forever.’ It was just … really horrible.
“I have an eight-year-old kid. I wouldn’t let Michael hang out with my kid. I wouldn’t let my kid go over his house. I love Michael. Ya know what I mean. Michael has a reputation of this.”
In 1992, the Hangover star was convicted of rape and he admitted he “respects” people who wouldn’t let their children around him as a result.
He added: “It’s like some people say, ‘Well listen, you’re Mike Tyson. I wouldn’t let my daughter around you cause you’ve been to prison for rape.’ I respect that, I understand that.”
Wade Robson and James Safechuck accused Jackson of abusing them in the controversial documentary Leaving Neverland and while Tyson admitted that “whatever happened when [they were] kids is wrong,” he criticized the men for appearing in the program.
He said, “What you’re doing now is even wrong. Coming out saying this stuff. It comes across that these are guys just out to get some money.”
The Michael Jackson Estate has denied the allegations made in the documentary and earlier this week, the “Billie Jean” hitmaker’s niece, Brandi Jackson, admitted she was “sickened” by the “ridiculous” claims made.
She said, “When I was watching [‘Leaving Neverland’], I was completely sickened by it, to be honest with you. The things that he was saying were so over the top and so ridiculous.
“[Wade] was not describing my uncle. He was describing a totally different person, but not my uncle. And that’s why this is a narrative that has changed… over the last 15 years. Everything that he’s ever said about my uncle is the complete opposite of who he was painting in this documentary.”
