Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson has never been one to shy away from controversy, and his latest interview with The Hollywood Reporter underscores this reputation. The rapper and producer opened up about his strained relationship with Sean "Diddy" Combs and made some striking allegations against his former collaborator.
"I didn't ever party or hang out with him," 50 Cent said, setting the tone for his candid remarks about Combs. "Puff is a businessperson; when people call him a producer, I see people that were taken advantage of, who produced things that he took from them. He got the credit. He's not a producer. He's been able to take advantage of the business and the creatives in it."
50 Cent is currently working on a Netflix documentary about Diddy, which he hopes will shed light on what he sees as a pattern of exploitation. Despite multiple lawsuits alleging sexual assault and abuse, Combs has denied all accusations. However, several former employees of his Bad Boy music label and other sources corroborated these claims in a Rolling Stone report in May.
The accusations against Diddy are not new. Last November, Combs settled a lawsuit with his former partner Cassie Ventura just one day after she filed it. Surveillance video obtained by CNN also surfaced, showing Diddy physically assaulting Cassie at a hotel in 2016. In response to this, 50 Cent stated, "Everything he says is a lie. With all the influence and power you have, the person you're with is supposed to want to be a part of your life, not be forced."
50 Cent went further, questioning why many in Hollywood have remained silent. "Some of them were involved, at the parties and enjoyed themselves, so they don't know what was being filmed," he explained. "So they're not going to say anything because they might have had too much fun. And then you've got other people who look and go, 'Well, that's not my business and I don't want to be in it.'"
In addition to discussing his fraught relationship with Diddy, 50 Cent also made headlines for bringing $3.5 million in cash to his photo shoot with The Hollywood Reporter. The money, which he brought in two heavy black suitcases, was displayed prominently during the shoot. "I just had that. I got more than that," he said, adding that he was inspired by Muhammad Ali's famous 1964 Sports Illustrated cover where the boxer posed with $1 million.
The photo shoot highlighted not just 50 Cent's wealth but also his burgeoning production empire. His company, G-Unit Film and Television, has multiple shows in development across major platforms like Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and BET. "This is mirroring my music career," he said. "My first album turned into the largest debut in hip-hop, 13 million copies sold; the first television show that I produced became the highest-rated show on the entire network."
Approaching his 50th birthday, 50 Cent is reflective but ambitious. "I have a lot of stuff I've got to accomplish over this year," he said. "I've got to not make mistakes and be completely on it. This year, I'm going to get some work done. I'm not going to f--k up. I'll keep myself out of little bulls--t."
