NEWS50 Cent Trolls Jussie Smollett Over Harlem Pride Performance as Old Feud Resurfaces
50 Cent mocked Jussie Smollett's Harlem Pride performance, reigniting their long-running feud.
June 30 2026, Published 1:44 p.m. ET
50 Cent reignited his longtime feud with Jussie Smollett after mocking the actor's Harlem Pride performance in a new Instagram post.
"See, I told you POWER was the s---, but NO you wanted to watch Empire. Now look this its all your fault. LOL," the rapper wrote. The post marked another chapter in the pair's longtime rivalry, which dates back to when Power competed with Empire for television audiences.
Jussie Smollett returned to the stage at Harlem Pride before becoming the target of another social media jab from 50 Cent.
50 Cent has often ridiculed Empire over the years, promoting Power as the superior series. He also mocked Smollett during his 2019 legal troubles, including jokes about the actor calling himself the "g-- Tupac."
50 Cent shared a The Guardian article on Instagram, bringing up Smollett's past legal case.
In his caption, he wrote, "Hey, happy pride guys, ahhh someone in the booking department forgot this guy went to jail for faking a hate crime."
50 Cent shared footage of Smollett's Harlem Pride performance while mocking the actor on Instagram.
This latest social media jab came shortly after Smollett made a return to the stage during New York City's Pride weekend. Even Congressional candidate Brad Lander joined this Pride Parade on June 28.
However, not everyone supported 50 Cent's critique. Karamo Brown, a star from Queer Eye who was present at the event, stood up for Smollett's performance.
"I was at this PRIDE event and Jussie killed it. F--- off for using one clip from the entire 30 min show to try bring someone down" Brown commented on the Instagram post.
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Jussie Smollett's Representative Fires Back After Latest Jab
Karamo Brown defended Smollett, saying he killed it during the NYC Pride event.
Smollett's representative responded to 50 Cent's comments in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"Given the complexities of his own personal life, 50 Cent might be better served tending to matters closer to home rather than taking public shots at Jussie," the spokesperson said.
Jussie Smollett has continued returning to public performances following the resolution of his legal case.
The actor's recent performance comes years after he claimed to be the target of a racist and homophobic assault in Chicago in 2019. He was found guilty in 2021 of orchestrating the event, but this conviction was overturned in November 2024. In 2025, Smollett resolved the City of Chicago's civil lawsuit by agreeing to donate $50,000 to charity. Throughout this process, he maintained his innocence and expressed his determination to restore his reputation. Smollett stated in a Fox News Digital statement after the settlement that, "I'm aware that it will not change everyone’s mind about me or the attack I experienced."
He added, "However, despite arduous and expensive attempts to punish me, I am innocent both in the eyes of G-- and of our criminal justice system."
"I will continue creating my art, fighting passionately for causes I hold dear and defending my integrity and family name with the truth," Smollett concluded.
