Former NBA star Dennis Rodman broke down in tears live on television on Tuesday as he told of hostility he claimed to have faced for his 'friendship' with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The two have had several meetings together.
Amid a landmark summit between President Donald Trump and the young North Korean leader, Rodman appeared on CNN wearing a 'Make America Great again' cap.
"I got so many death threats," Rodman said, in tears.
"I couldn't even go home... I had to hide out for 30 days.
"But I kept my head up high brother because I knew things were going to change. I was the only one, I never had no one to hear me, I didn't have anyone to see me. I took those bullets, I took all that. Everyone came at me and I'm still standing.
"Today's a great day for everybody, Singapore, Tokyo, China, everything. It's a great day. I'm here to see it, I'm so happy."
Rodman defended the talks between himself and Kim and also those between Trump and Kim as 'the right thing to do'.
"We need the doors to be open and start fresh and make this world a better place, baby, that's it," he said.
Rodman said he attempted to open communication between Kim and the presidential administration of Barack Obama following his 2013 visit to North Korea.
He recounted a request from Kim to pass a message to former President Obama, as a prerequisite for possible talks. Rodman claimed that Obama had ignored his request.
"I tried to do that to Obama, and he didn't even give me the time of day," he said.
"I asked him. I said I have something to say from North Korea and he just brushed me off. That didn't deter me. I still kept going back."
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) meets with former NBA star Dennis Rodman in Pyongyang on Sept. 7, 2013 Source: AAP
Rodman flew into Singapore late Monday ahead of today's summit, playing down expectations of an immediate breakthrough at the historic meeting.
Rodman, who has struck up an unlikely friendship with the basketball-loving North Korean leader, arrived in the city-state about nine hours before the summit - an attempt to negotiate an end to a decades-old nuclear stand-off.
Earlier, he said he expected the Trump-Kim summit to "go fairly well" but added "people should not expect too much for the first time".
"I'm just happy to be a part of it," he told reporters at Changi Airport.
"I think that I brought awareness to a lot of things around the world and I think North Korea has given a lot of people the opportunity to do this conference now and I hope it's a success.
"Who knew this would have happened five to six years ago... It's exciting to be a part of it."
Rodman has previously described Kim as a "friend for life". He has made five trips to Pyongyang since Kim took power.
-With AFP
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