The rapper reignited a “Power” vs. “Empire” feud after Smollett performed on stage in Harlem years after an alleged hate crime hoax.

50 Cent once again mocks Jussie Smollett, slams star’s return to stage at Pride event

The rapper reignited a "Power" vs. "Empire" feud after Smollett performed on stage in Harlem years after an alleged hate crime hoax.

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Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes RuPaul’s Drag Race video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

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June 29, 2026 9:50 a.m. ET

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50 Cent; Jussie Smollett. Credit:

Jason Mendez/Getty; John Nacion/Getty

- Rapper 50 Cent has once again criticized Jussie Smollett years after an alleged hate crime hoax courted controversy for the *Empire* star.

- Smollett returned to the stage over the weekend while performing at a Pride event in Harlem.

- 50 Cent criticized Smollett in an Instagram post, mocking the entertainer's singing.

50 Cent has once again reignited the *Empire* vs. *Power* feud as he criticized Jussie Smollett's return to the stage at a Pride event in Harlem over the weekend.

In an Instagram video shared Sunday, 50 Cent — who previously jabbed Smollett for calling himself the "gay Tupac" in 2019 — mocked Smollett seven years after the latter became embroiled in a complex and controversial legal battle over an alleged hate crime hoax in Chicago.

"See I told you *POWER* was the s---," the 50-year-old wrote in a caption, referencing his 2014-2020 TV series under a video of Smollett, 44, singing and dancing on stage at the event.

Reigniting a years-long perceived rivalry between the two series, 50 Cent continued, "No you want to watch *Empire*. Now look this is all your fault. LOL."

Jussie Smollett in 2025.

* *has reached out to Smollett for a response.

This is far from the first time 50 Cent has criticized Smollett and *Empire*, as both shows were viewed as competitors during their respective runs.

Outside of his role on *Empire* from 2015-2019, Smollett made headlines for a controversy in 2019 when he was accused of staging a hate crime after initially claiming that he was the victim of a violent assault in Chicago.

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Smollett initially said he was attacked by two men he didn't know, whom he said used racist and homophobic language before placing a rope around his neck. (Smollett is Black and came out as gay in 2015.)

He also said the alleged assailants shouted "MAGA" at him, in reference to Donald Trump.

The Chicago Police Department found evidence suggesting Smollett staged the incident. The actor denied the accusations and filed a countersuit against the city. He was ultimately indicted by a grand jury on 16 felony charges, which were eventually dropped after the star made a deal with the prosecution. Subsequently, a special prosecutor oversaw the case, and Smollett was eventually convicted.

50 Cent in 2025.

Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty

Smollett was sentenced to 30 months of felony probation — 150 days of which would be served in jail — and was required to pay $120,000 in restitution and a $25,000 fine to the city of Chicago. An appeals court granted his release pending an appeal.

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Smollett also settled a lawsuit from the city of Chicago in early 2025, after the city claimed it spent $130,000 investigating the alleged hate crime incident.

Since then, Smollett has appeared in a handful of projects, including as a celebrity contestant on *Special Forces* and as the subject of the 2025 Netflix documentary *The Truth About Jussie Smollett.*

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