Ice-T and Gene Simmons defend Mike Tyson after video showed him punching an airline passenger

Gene Simmons and Ice-T are among the celebrities to express support for Mike Tyson after footage of the former boxer punching someone onboard a flight was published online.

Tyson’s representatives said the passenger was being “aggressive” and was “harassing” the 55-year-old in the moments before the incident, which was also caught on camera and shared by TMZ.

A day after the incident, Jake Paul tweeted: “If you’re being heckled in public like Mike Tyson was you should legally get a hall pass to beat someone’s ass.

“This generation thinks they can get away with anything.”

The YouTuber’s sentiment was endorsed by Kiss frontman Gene Simmons, who tweeted “Agreed!” alongside a news story about Paul’s comment.

Meanwhile, rapper Ice-T wrote a string of tweets criticising the man who heckled Tyson on the flight. “Clownass forgot he was NOT behind his keyboard,” Ice-T tweeted.

Tyson’s representatives claimed that the passenger had thrown a water bottle at the former heavyweight world champion’s head, in their statement.

Tyson had boarded the flight from San Francisco to Florida but got off the plane following the confrontation and was later detained.

Blood could be seen dripping from the man’s forehead in the video.

Both men were detained at San Francisco airport following the incident and released after the passenger “refused to cooperate” with the police investigation, officials said.