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In 2022, footage of Mike Tyson repeatedly punching a passenger on a JetBlue flight went viral.
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Two years later, the passenger, Melvin Townsend, is suing Tyson for damages
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Tyson’s representatives told Business Insider that he will “100% refute these ridiculous claims.”
A man who was repeatedly punched by Mike Tyson who was in first class on a flight in 2022, took legal action against the former boxing champion and the airline JetBlue.
The incident occurred on a red-eye flight from San Francisco to Florida on April 20, 2022, and went viral after a video filmed by another passenger was shared by TMZ.
Tyson’s representatives told the Associated Press at the time, the man sitting behind Tyson was “an aggressive passenger who began harassing him and threw a water bottle at him while he was sitting.”
In an episode of his podcast a month after the incident, Tyson said the passenger was “fucking with me”, adding that he should not fly on “public planes”.
Around the same time, the San Mateo County District Attorney said that would not bring criminal charges against the former world heavyweight champion, citing “the circumstances of the confrontation”.
“It is simply a case that does not belong in criminal court. If they want to sue each other, that’s their problem,” the prosecutor said.
In December 2023, the passenger, Melvin Townsend, submitted a “pre-litigation settlement demand” requesting $450,000 to resolve the incident without taking it to court, which LA Times reported.
Tyson’s lawyer told the Times there would be no “extortion payments.”
On April 19, 2024, Townsend filed a complaint in San Mateo County Superior Court, one day before a two-year statute of limitations went into effect for some of the claims.
According to Townsend’s account of the incident in the complainthe and a friend noticed that they were sitting directly behind Tyson when they boarded the plane.
Townsend, then 36, claims he struck up a conversation with the star, expressing admiration for Tyson’s “illustrious boxing career” and buying alcohol for him and them.
He describes himself as “a fan of Mr. Tyson who was happy to speak to one of his childhood heroes.”
Tyson offered them psilocybin mushrooms, the complaint states, which the pair refused.
According to court records, the boxer then turned to his partner, a man he called his manager, asking for some psilocybin mushrooms for himself. His companion refused to hand them over.
“Suddenly and without warning or provocation,” Tyson stood up from his chair, turned around and began punching Townsend repeatedly while standing over him.
“Mr. Tyson punched Plaintiff numerous times in the head, face and neck, tore the collar of Plaintiff’s shirt and caused Plaintiff to bleed on both sides of his head,” the complaint says.
The boxer’s partner tried to stop the attack by placing his body between the two men and throwing a few blows before Tyson finally stopped, the lawsuit says.
Townsend said he was punched about 10 times.
Describing himself as 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 170 pounds, he said he had no way of defending himself “due to Mr. Tyson’s extraordinary strength and decades of training and professional fighting skill.”
The incident left Townsend in physical and emotional distress, according to the complaint.
The lists seven claims for damages. Three are against Tyson, alleging assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Four are against JetBlue, alleging negligence, common carrier liability, premises liability and negligent hiring, retention and supervision.
Townsend is requesting a jury trial to decide the outcome.
Tyson’s representatives told Business Insider that he will “100% refute these ridiculous claims.”
JetBlue did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Read the original article at Business Insider
