Bobby Brown and Mike Tyson bond over grief
Bobby Brown and Mike Tyson have been friends for a long time but they grew closer because of their grief at losing a child.
Bobby Brown and Mike Tyson grew closer because of their grief at losing a child.
The New Edition singer's daughter Bobbi Kristina died in 2015 aged 22 after being found unresponsive in the bath with drugs and alcohol in her system, and his son Bobby Jr, 28, fatally overdosed five years later, and although he "goes way back" with the 57-year-old boxer - whose four-year-old daughter Exodus died after accidentally choking on a cord in 2009 - their friendship has deepened due to their shared experiences.
Bobby told People magazine: "We go way back. When he first started fighting and I first went solo we did a lot of hanging out together.
"His support is great. 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."
However, the two men don't discuss their painful subject very often.
Bobby admitted: "We try to stay away from it. It's always in the foreground, but we try to keep each other on solid ground."
The 'Two Can Play That Game' hitmaker - who has five other children - admitted his late kids frequently visit him in his dreams, and he finds that helps him with his grief.
He said: "That's a reoccurring thing that goes on when I'm asleep.
"I tend to dream about both of 'em, my son and my daughter, which is helpful for me. Just being able to see their faces and I see 'em smiling, it helps me out in a big way."
Bobby also speaks to a therapist, and has found other things to help process his feelings of loss.
He said: "I still see a therapist.
"Just being able to talk about it definitely helps out. Also prayer always works. And staying busy. I try to keep myself as busy as possible, doing different things."
