Divisive boxing star Floyd Mayweather Jr has defended US President Donald Trump's infamous pre-election "grab them by the p***y" remarks, saying that is how real men speak.
Mayweather, who has a number of convictions for violence against women, said Mr Trump's remarks — made in 2005 and leaked during the 2016 US presidential election campaign — were simply "locker room talk", parroting a phrase used by Mr Trump himself.
"People don't like the truth. He speaks like a real man spoke," Mayweather told Hollywood Unlocked.
"Real men speak like 'Man, she had a fat ass. You see her ass? I had to squeeze her ass. I had to grab that fat ass.' Right? So he talking locker room talk.
"Locker room talk. 'I'm the man, you know what I'm saying? You know who I am. Yeah, I grabbed her by the p***y. And?'"
Mr Trump made the remarks in an off-camera recording while talking to entertainment show Access Hollywood in 2005.
He has a big fan in Mayweather, who reportedly attended his inauguration in January, while Mr Trump was at Mayweather's 2015 bout with Manny Pacquiao.
Mayweather, who recently beat Conor McGregor in a Las Vegas world title fight, said Trump's remarks were "real".
"I feel people shy away from realness. This man didn't do nothing. Listen, if y'all didn't want the man in the White House, y'all should have voted the other way," Mayweather said.
"It ain't like he went and robbed — he done his homework. He did what he had to do and he got there."
Mayweather also said no-one brought up the notion of Mr Trump being a racist until he joined the presidential race.
"Racism still exists. You never heard anything about Donald Trump being racist until he ran for president," Mayweather said.
"He done WWE, different shows, everybody liked Donald Trump. As soon as he ran for president … people don't like the truth.
"It don't matter who's in. Trump is in, [Hillary] Clinton, Barack Obama, it doesn't matter. That's not going to stop my drive. Too many people are worried about what Trump is doing … instead of worrying about what you're trying to get to."
Mayweather has had a number of criminal convictions for violence against women. In 2002 he was charged with two counts of domestic violence, receiving a six-month suspended sentence.
In 2004 he was given a one-year suspended jail sentence and ordered to undergo counselling after being convicted of misdemeanour battery against two women.
