50 Cent is not holding back about his longtime rival, Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The rapper and television producer, 49, addressed his relationship with Combs, 54 — who has faced allegations of rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment and sex trafficking in a string of lawsuits — in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter published Wednesday.
Fiddy, who worked in the same circles as Combs back in the day, explained why he never attended the Bad Boy Records founder’s famous parties, where Diddy allegedly committed some of the heinous acts he’s been accused of.
“I’ve been very vocal about not going to Puffy parties and doing s–t like that,” said 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson. “I’ve been staying out of that s–t for years. It’s just an uncomfortable energy connected to it.”
“He asked to take me shopping,” 50 claimed. “I thought that was the weirdest s–t in the world because that might be something that a man says to a woman. And I’m just like, ‘Naw, I’m not f–king with this weird energy or weird s–t,’ coming off the way he was just moving. From that, I wasn’t comfortable around him.”
50 Cent specifically addressed the 2016 video that emerged earlier this year that shows Combs attacking his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway. Ventura, 37, sued Combs for allegedly raping and physically abusing her. They settled the lawsuit one day after she filed it.
“First, he denied that it even happened, and then the tape comes out — so that means everything that [N-word] says is a lie,” Fif said of Combs, who has strongly denied the allegations in all of the suits against him.
“When someone watches that, if they have a daughter and they can imagine her being under those circumstances, that s–t is crazy,” the rapper added of the video. “Like, they let him get away with it. 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.”
The “Power” producer and actor is making a documentary about the sexual assault allegations against Combs. After a bidding war, Netflix purchased the rights to the doc in May.
50 Cent said last year that the proceeds from the docuseries would go toward victims of sexual assault and rape.
When asked by THR what made him produce the doc, Fiddy said, “I’m the only one from hip-hop culture that’s produced quality projects. We do have a lot of talent within our culture where the talent has developed a comfortability in front of the camera, so they’re usually a part of it as an actor or driving force of why someone would watch the project. [But] not the behind-the-scenes production, producing the whole project. So there’s a difference.”
Despite previously working adjacent to Combs in the early 2000s, the “In da Club” hitmaker clarified that the two were never friends.
“It was mostly work. I wouldn’t call it a friendship, because there wouldn’t be disappointment between us if we didn’t speak to each other,” he said. “There’s points that we worked together. Jennifer Lopez actually told him he should work with me as songwriter in the beginning. And I was around at the early stages, and he could have done my record deal at that point.”
That happened in 2000, Fiddy said, “following me being shot up” by a gunman outside his grandmother’s house and after the label Trackmasters signed him. “I’m just getting back to work, and [Diddy would] call me to write. I remember … my son’s mom would answer, and I didn’t want to get on the phone, like, ‘No, no, no.’ And she was like, ‘What the f–k? We need money.’ She’s looking at me like, ‘What? Why don’t you want to talk to him?’ ” 50 Cent recalled.
He went on, “I didn’t ever party or hang out with him. 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. I don’t have any interest in doing that. I actually fall under the creative. So I just didn’t take to hanging out with that.”
50 Cent was also asked why other celebrities aren’t speaking up about Combs like he is.
“Some of them were involved, at the parties and enjoyed themselves, so they don’t know what the f–k is on tape or what’s not on tape, so they’re not going to say anything because they might have had too much fun,” he claimed. “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.’ “
“Then you’ve got a part of our culture that says, ‘That’s snitching’ or ‘dry snitching’ or s–t like that,” he continued. “It’s not uncomfortable for me to say what I said because I’ve been saying this s–t for four years, five years. I been telling you, ‘I don’t f–k with him. I don’t like the way he moving. This is a little crazy.’ Everybody else is not going to be as comfortable as I am saying it.”
The “What Up Gangsta” musician also defended his relationship with mentor Dr. Dre, who has been accused of abuse by women. Dre, 59, has denied the allegations.
“It’s fine that they would feel whatever they feel because I don’t know what is true or what’s not true about that situation,” Fif said of Dre’s accusers. “And these things date back to before I was even signed to Dr. Dre.”
“But this would mean not acknowledging all the things that are positive about him, all the successes I have had and everything, because that’s the time frame we are talking about. Look, it may irritate people that have heard that. That’s crazy to think that you would not produce a doc series now based on that as well.”
Combs has not been charged with any crimes and has denied the allegations against him.
The Post has reached out to Diddy’s rep for comment on 50 Cent’s THR interview.
After the footage of him beating Cassie leaked, he released a video statement via Instagram saying, “My behavior on that video is inexcusable.”
“I was disgusted then when I did it and I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help, started going to therapy and rehab, had to ask God for his mercy and grace.”
