Celebrities
Mike Tyson’s latest fashion collaboration has sparked a dispute over a hoodie design featuring national flags. The item, created with streetwear brand Supreme and designer Martine Rose, disappeared from the brand’s promotional materials before its planned release. Tyson’s legal team has now accused Supreme of changing the approved artwork without permission. The dispute could lead to legal action over the boxer’s name and image.
Mike Tyson’s legal team says Supreme changed the approved hoodie design without authorization
According to Rolling Stone, the hoodie featured an image of Tyson surrounded by national flags, including the Palestinian flag. The design drew attention after Supreme announced its collaboration with Martine Rose on Monday. Streetwear blogs noted that the vintage Mike Tyson graphic that inspired the hoodie featured the Israeli flag instead. Supreme took the images of the item off of its marketing, and the hoodie was not included in this week’s release.
The removal led to online speculation that Tyson’s representatives had asked Supreme to pull the item because of the Palestinian flag. However, Tyson’s legal team addressed the issue in a statement to the outlet. Attorney Mitchell Schuster of Meister Seelig & Schuster said Tyson’s team had approved artwork based on the boxer’s iconic Jeff Hamilton jacket. He added that the original goal was to celebrate Tyson’s boxing history.
“Without authorization, Supreme altered the approved design, embroiling Mr. Tyson in an unrelated political crisis,” Schuster said. He called the change “a material breach of contract.” The statement also said Supreme had ignored repeated demands from Tyson’s team. His lawyers now plan to take “all necessary action” to protect his name, likeness and legacy.
The controversy arrives as Netflix premieres a four-part documentary on the boxer’s career and off-the-ring problems titled Tyson. The dispute now leaves Supreme facing a potential legal fight over the hoodie design and Tyson’s claim that the brand changed his approved artwork without permission.