Source: WENN/Avalon; Priscilla Grant/WENN/Avalon / WENN
As both Empire and Power prepare to say goodbye in their sixth seasons, Taraji P. Henson still can’t understand why certain people tried to compare one to the other, or trash one for the other.
One of those people, whom some might call the ringleader of it all, was 50 Cent, an actor and producer since the beginning on Power. Despite the fact that the shows were on different days and the plots are completely different (a drug dealer turned businessman who wants to leave criminal behavior behind for legitimate business and his old flame vs. rapper turned record label head with some serious family drama), 50 took jabs at the Fox hit on social media. He said Empire was a copy of his hit Starz series and even named stars Terrence Howard and Henson in some of his attacks.
“POWER Season 2 is unbelievably good trust me. I have the best writers and show runner,” he said in 2015 on one of many comments about the shows. “I like Terrence Howard and Taraji Henson. I don’t like that they would copy the marketing.”
She responded at the time by saying, “I pay attention to $’s NOT cents.” Still, all these years later, Henson admits his obsession with comparing the series when they were both at their peak of success was “embarrassing.”
She appeared on T.I.‘s ExpediTIously podcast recently and shared her thoughts.
“Our show had nothing to do with his show,” she said. “We’re talking two different subject matters. You know what I mean? And then 50, do you know what the f–k I had to do to get here? Why tear down another Black person? For competition? There are a million other shows you can compete with! And to do that publicly? It’s embarrassing.”
She has a valid point, but then again, we’re talking about 50 Cent. He’s made a living being a troll, almost as much as he has being an actor, rapper, producer and businessman. With that being said, don’t hold your breath expecting him to do better.
