50 Cent, a frequent critic of embattled rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, engaged in a social media tiff with singer Jason Derulo over comments he made to TMZ stating his belief that Combs is innocent until proven guilty amid his numerous sexual assault lawsuits.
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50 Cent has been a frequent critic of Sean “Diddy” Combs on social media. (Photo by Jamie … [+]GETTY IMAGES
KEY FACTS
Derulo told TMZ earlier this week he agrees with the idea that people should be considered innocent until proven guilty, though he did not comment further on the numerous allegations and lawsuits filed against Combs.
His comments sparked a rebuttal from 50 Cent, who posted on Instagram urging Derulo to “shut the f— up” and joking he might find Derulo “on one of them tapes.”
The “tapes” comment likely refers to producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones’ allegation that Combs possesses compromising footage of the guests he invited to his parties (Combs denied all of the allegations in Jones’ lawsuit through his lawyers).
Derulo fired back at 50 Cent in an Instagram post featuring an edited video of Derulo punching another person who has 50 Cent’s face superimposed.
Derulo later clarified in a comment on his post that he doesn’t know Combs personally, but maintained that “everyone is innocent before proven guilty.”
Many of the commenters on Derulo’s post warned him about picking a fight with 50 Cent, who is known for his long-running celebrity feuds—including his decades-long beef with Combs, whom 50 Cent has repeatedly mocked amid his legal troubles.
SURPRISING FACT
50 Cent has engaged in numerous social media spats related to Combs’ legal troubles. 50 Cent and his ex-girlfriend, Daphne Joy, who is also the mother of their 11-year-old son Sire, have traded accusations on social media over the past few weeks after Joy was named as an alleged “sex worker” who worked for Combs in Jones’ lawsuit. Joy called the allegations “false and character assassination” in a statement on Instagram, but 50 Cent trolled her on social media, tweeting: “I didn’t know you was a sex worker, 👀you little sex worker. LOL.” He also posted a picture of her walking alongside Combs in a now-deleted post on Instagram and accused her of taking money from him. Joy responded to 50 Cent in an Instagram post, accusing him of failing to visit their son enough while they lived in New York. She also accused him of rape and physical abuse, which the rapper denied in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.
TANGENT
After federal agents raided Combs’ Miami and Los Angeles homes in March, 50 Cent tweeted: “Now it’s not Diddy do it, it’s Diddy done 🤷🏽♂️they don’t come like that unless they got a case.” Since the raid, 50 Cent has posted about Diddy on his Instagram almost daily, including sharing headlines of news stories about the embattled rapper and plenty of memes mocking him. Their feud dates back to at least 2006, when 50 Cent alleged in a diss track that Combs knew who shot the Notorious B.I.G., the rapper killed in a drive-by shooting at the age of 24 in 1997. 50 Cent has also insinuated on multiple occasions, as recently as December, that Combs was involved with the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur. Authorities have not accused Combs of wrongdoing related to either instance. The two rappers have also sparred over their competing vodka brands, and 50 Cent has made multiple jabs speculating about Combs’ sexuality. 50 Cent has said he is producing a documentary about Combs’ sexual assault allegations, with proceeds being donated to victims of sexual assault.
KEY BACKGROUND
The March raids on Combs’ homes were reportedly part of a federal sex trafficking investigation, multiple news outlets reported. His attorneys denied any wrongdoing and slammed the raids as an “unprecedented ambush.” Prior to the raids, Combs was sued multiple times for alleged sexual assault, though he has denied all allegations made against him. The most high-profile lawsuit was filed by the singer Casandra Ventura, professionally known as Cassie, in November, in which she alleged that Combs raped her in 2018 and physically abused her for years while they were in a relationship. The parties settled the lawsuit later that month for an undisclosed amount, though Combs’ lawyers maintained the settlement was “in no way an admission of wrongdoing.”
