Mike Tyson Reveals Near-Fatal Overdoses Saved by Psychedelic Toad Venom in New Netflix Doc

Boxing legend Mike Tyson is opening up about the darkest, most vulnerable chapters of his life in a new four-part self-titled docuseries on Netflix, revealing that he nearly died from drug overdoses before eventually finding sobriety through an unconventional psychedelic treatment.

The 60-year-old former heavyweight champion recalled hitting absolute rock bottom during his fighting career and described experiencing life-threatening overdoses, including an incident where he was bleeding and hysterical from the substance abuse.

Desperate to help him heal, his third wife, Lakiha “Kiki” Spicer, helped introduce him to an intervention using 5-MeO-DMT, a powerful psychedelic compound derived from the venom of the Sonoran Desert toad, known as the Bufo alvarius toad.

The controversial pro boxer credited the substance with helping him conquer his addictions, stating that it has been a full decade since he last consumed alcohol or touched cocaine.

“The feeling of doing it is like being reborn,” Tyson said in the docuseries. “My only coordination with this feeling is that it feels like you met God. If I was to think what God feels like, that would be my feeling.”

Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with The Athletic, Tyson discussed what it felt like to relive those bleak moments for the cameras.The documentary also revisited other profound periods of grief, including the 2009 accidental death of his 4-year-old daughter, Exodus, a tragedy Tyson admitted he is still figuring out how to survive.

Confronting difficult milestones, such as his 1992 rape conviction, which he continues to explicitly deny, and his infamous 1997 ear-bite incident against Evander Holyfield brought  up a lot of emotions, but Tyson maintained that those trials ultimately forged the person he is today.

“I would like to regret it, but if I did, I wouldn’t have the situation in life that I have now,” Tyson said in the interview. “I have to accept that it gave me the great life that I have.”

 

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Now, Tyson leads a quieter lifestyle centered around his family, political conservatism, and caring for his beloved flock of pigeons, and admits he still struggles with insecurities that drove his boxing career.

Though he occasionally toys with the idea of stepping back into the ring and would consider it if his family approved, Tyson remains focused on maintaining his hard-won sobriety and inner balance.

TYSON, Streaming Now, Netflix