Source: hollywoodreporter.com

What exactly is a “Prostitute Hunter?”

That’s how retired boxing legend turned Broadway actor, Mike Tyson, described himself in a bizarre interview on NBC’s Today Show this morning.

Talking to Ann Curry about his transformation from a controversial ex-athlete to a clean-living vegan and self-proclaimed “wimp”, he said:

“I just threw up the white flag. There was too many prison cells, too many jails, too many lawsuits, too many bankruptcies, too many women, too many venereal diseases, too many everything. I got tired. I really got tired of, you know, like every time a prostitute –- I would head back from a trip — I had to sleep with her. So I just said, ‘I’m going to live a different life.’”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he laughed. “I was a prostitute hunter!”

The former heavyweight champ visited Today this morning with Spike Lee to talk about his one-man broadway play: “Mike Tyson: The Undisputed Truth” which Spike is directing. MSNBC reports that Tyson’s openness shocked Las Vegas crowds during his biographical show there and he promises the play will be just as candid. Tyson says he’ll be talking about his boxing career, rape conviction, drug abuse, coming up in a “sex worker world” (his mom was a prostitute and his dad was a pimp) and how he’s turned his life around.

The storied former boxer told ABC News that the show is part of his effort to move his life in a positive direction.

“This is what me and my wife wanted to do — this is what we decided to do after I gave up using drugs and being a pig and stuff, right, so this is what we decided we were going to [live] on this kind of level. Just keep it moving and doing positive things.”

I’m a little too young to remember “The Iron Man” during his glory days, but I do remember him as the boxer who bit that other boxer’s ear, beat up his ex-wife Robin Givens and went to prison for raping someone. He’s pretty much the last guy I would expect to have a show on Broadway and thus potentially walk the red carpet at the Tony Awards. But, hey, there are definitely worse things he could be doing with his life besides trying to move it in a positive direction.

Here’s hoping he’s done hunting prostitutes for good.

In case you want to watch, here’s the clip from the interview. Thank God Spike was there.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Alissa Henry is a freelance writer living in Columbus, OH. Follow her on Twitter @AlissaInPink 

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I’ve never really watched the TLC show “Toddlers & Tiaras” for the fact that I’m not a fan of watching parents live vicariously through their children. But I had to check out the fuss the show gets after it hit all the entertainment news outlets that a young contestant on the show named Paisley (how cute is that name?) was dressed by her mother as Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Yeah, the movie about the prostitute and Richard Gere as the lovable “Captain Save-a-H*.” And out of all the outfits Paisley’s mother could have chosen from that movie to wear, Paisley actually appeared on the show in the hooker attire–fake leather boots, blue mini-skirt, cropped white top and a blonde wig. Say what!?

Obviously getting a whole lot of flack for the decision, the mommy dearest, aka Wendy Dickey, told TMZ the swimsuits and other pieces usually worn in the pageants are way more revealing than the Pretty Woman outfit. Dickey says she actually dressed Paisley up as Julia Roberts’ classy character near the end of the movie, but TLC cut that out. On top of that, she added:

“I’m raising my child just as well as any mother does … I take my kid to church every week … at least I’m not forcing them into sports and getting my child injured like some parents. People need to look at their own family and what they’re doing. I don’t know why people are focusing so much on pageant moms when there’s much more harmful things people are letting their children do!”

I think the point that Dickey is missing is that it’s not about how the clothes looked on Paisley or what the clothes did and didn’t show off, but the fact that the outfit was inspired by the clothing of a prostitute. A PROSTITUTE. She’s got the thigh high boots on and everything ma! So yeah Dickey, this is somewhat harmful. And no, you don’t get an A for effort, you get an F for foolery.

What do you think of the Pretty Woman-inspired outfit? Big deal or not at all?