Mike Tyson said he used to be liberal but has become 'a little conservative' as he's gotten older

• Mike Tyson is loathed to talk about politics in public these days.
• He claimed the U.S. media stole his "freedom of speech."

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson said he used to be liberal but has become "a little conservative" as he's gotten older.

The 56-year-old, who made and spent a fortune, said during an interview with Newsmax that he's loathed to express his political views publicly as, he claimed, U.S. media stole his "freedom of speech."

Though Newsmax talked to Tyson about numerous topics, politics was brought up as Tyson lives in Florida. He was asked if he had any thoughts about the state's Republican governor Ron DeSantis.

"Listen, if I start talking politics, my friends aren't going to like me," Tyson said on the TV show. "Let's just not do that, OK? Let's just not do that."

He continued: "My family gets mad, my friends get mad when we talk politics.

"When I was younger, I was all-out liberal. But as I get older, and I look at my children, and I see what's out there in the world, I get a little conservative.

"It's common sense, looking at the world we have now. You want safety."

Additionally, he said he had spoken about politics before but got "a beating" from the media. "They stole my freedom of speech."

He said: "I can't talk names. The last time I tried to talk politics, wow, did they give me a beating.

"I stay away from politics and religion."