Mike Tyson’s lawyers say Supreme put him in a ‘political crisis’ with altered hoodie

Tyson’s attorneys say his team approved artwork celebrating boxing history, but Supreme later altered the design without authorization.

Mike Tyson’s lawyers say the hoodie Supreme designed around him is not the hoodie his team approved.

Rolling Stone reported that the garment, part of a collaboration with designer Martine Rose unveiled Monday, featured Tyson surrounded by national flags.

Streetwear blogs quickly noted a discrepancy, the vintage graphic that inspired the piece, taken from a Jeff Hamilton jacket, carried the Israeli flag where the new version carried the Palestinian flag. Images disappeared from Supreme’s promotional materials soon after, and the item did not appear in this week’s drop.

Speculation ran immediately toward Tyson’s camp as the source of the withdrawal. His attorneys have now confirmed as much, in terms sharper than most parties use before filing anything.

Mitchell Schuster of Meister Seelig & Schuster told the outlet that Tyson’s team approved artwork inspired by the original jacket “solely to celebrate boxing history.” What followed, according to the statement, happened without sign-off.

“Without authorization, Supreme altered the approved design, embroiling Mr. Tyson in an unrelated political crisis,” Schuster said. “This modification constitutes a material breach of contract.” He added that Supreme has ignored repeated demands and that counsel will take all necessary action to protect Tyson’s name, likeness and legacy.

Supreme did not respond to Rolling Stone’s request for comment.

The dispute is narrower than the online conversation around it. Tyson’s complaint, as framed by his lawyers, concerns approval rights rather than the politics of the flag itself.

Licensing agreements involving a public figure’s likeness typically specify exactly what artwork may be used, and alterations made after approval sit squarely inside contract territory regardless of subject matter.

That distinction has been largely lost in the reaction online, where the removal has been read by some as a political statement and by others as capitulation.

Neither reading matches what Tyson’s lawyers actually alleged, though the statement’s reference to a political crisis acknowledges the environment the change dropped him into.

The timing is awkward. Tyson is also the subject of a four-part Netflix documentary that premiered this week, revisiting his career and the controversies that have followed him for four decades, which means his name was already circulating heavily before the hoodie surfaced.

Supreme has built much of its identity on exactly this kind of collaboration, putting cultural figures on its campaigns and garments. André 3000 fronted the fall 2022 campaign and appeared on a photo tee, followed by NBA YoungBoy in 2023 and Tyler, the Creator the year after. Those partnerships rarely generate public disputes, which makes this one unusual for a brand that depends on access to such figures.

No lawsuit has been filed.