A man who was repeatedly punched by Mike Tyson in first class on a 2022 flight has filed a lawsuit against former boxing champion and airline JetBlue.
The incident occurred during an overnight flight from San Francisco to Florida on April 20, 2022, and went viral after video footage filmed by another passenger was shared by TMZ.
Tyson’s representatives told The Associated Press at the time that the man sitting behind Tyson was “an aggressive passenger who began harassing him and threw a water bottle at him while he was in his seat “.
In an episode of his podcast a month after the incident, Tyson said the passenger was “fuck with me”, adding that he should not fly on “public planes”.
Around the same time, the San Mateo County prosecutor said he would not bring criminal charges against the former world heavyweight champion, citing “the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.”
“It’s simply a matter that doesn’t belong in a criminal court. If they want to sue, that’s their business,” the prosecutor said.
In December 2023, the passenger, Melvin Townsend, sent a “pre-litigation settlement request” seeking $450,000 to resolve the incident without taking it to court, the LA Times reported.
Tyson’s lawyer told the Times there would be no “discharge payment.”
On April 19, 2024, Townsend filed suit in San Mateo County Superior Court, one day before a two-year statute of limitations took effect for some of the claims.
According to Townsend’s account of the incident in the complaint, he and a friend noticed they were seated directly behind Tyson as they boarded the plane.
Townsend, then 36, claims to have struck up a conversation with the star, expressing admiration for Tyson’s “illustrious boxing career” and purchasing alcoholic beverages for himself and themselves.
He describes himself as “a Mr. Tyson fan who was happy to talk to one of his childhood heroes.”
Tyson offered them psilocybin mushrooms, the complaint alleges, which both men refused.
According to court documents, the boxer then turned to his companion, a man he called his manager, asking for psilocybin mushrooms for himself. His companion refused to give them to him.
Mike Tyson was the first heavyweight boxer to hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles simultaneously. Photo by Getty Images
“Suddenly and without warning or provocation,” Tyson stood up from his seat, turned around and began punching Townsend repeatedly while standing over him.
“Mr. Tyson struck Plaintiff several times in the head, face, and neck, tore the collar of Plaintiff’s shirt, and caused Plaintiff to bleed from both sides of his head,” the complaint states.
The boxer’s companion tried to stop the attack by placing his body between the two men and taking a few punches himself before Tyson finally stopped, the suit says.
Townsend said he was punched about 10 times.
Describing himself as 5 feet 6 inches tall and 170 pounds, he said he had no way to defend himself “because of Mr. Tyson’s extraordinary strength and decades of training and skill at professional fight.
The incident left Townsend in physical and emotional distress, according to the complaint.
The lists seven claims for damages. Three are against Tyson, citing assault, battery and intentional emotional distress.
Four are against JetBlue, claiming 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 would “100% refute these ridiculous claims.”
JetBlue did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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