Bobby Brown and Mike Tyson initially connected through their celebrity status, but it’s their shared grief that has solidified their bond.
Recently, the New Edition singer revealed how instrumental his friendship with the famed boxer was following the death of his daughter, Bobbi Kristina, and his son, Bobby Brown Jr. In 2015, Brown’s daughter, whom he shared with Whitney Houston, died at 22 years old after being found unresponsive in a bathtub. Five years later, the Grammy award-winning artist lost his 28-year-old son to an accidental drug overdose. Through both of those tragedies, Brown revealed how Tyson, who has also experienced the loss of a child, helped him.
“We go way back,” Brown told People magazine, explaining how their friendship began at the start of his solo career and Tyson’s professional boxing career.
“His support is great,” he added. “Him being a friend of mine and having someone else to talk to to get through because he also lost a child, and just to have him as a friend, it means everything to me.”
In 2009, Tyson’s 4-year-old daughter, Exodus, choked to death in a treadmill accident. Through that loss and the subsequent deaths of Brown’s children, the two have supported each other through the grieving process. Earlier this month, Tyson attended the Bobbi Kristina Serenity House Gala, a domestic violence charity event hosted to honor Brown’s late daughter. Similarly, Brown reported plans to attend Tyson’s upcoming return to the boxing ring in July.
While the friends continue to show up for each other, Brown explained that the two ironically try to avoid the topic of grief.
“We try to stay away from it,” he said. “It’s always in the foreground, but we try to keep each other on solid ground.”
Never miss a beat: Get our daily stories straight to your inbox with theGrio’s newsletter.