Actress Taraji P. Henson attends the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 18, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo : Getty Images/Alberto E. Rodriguez)
(Photo : Instagram/tarajiphenson)
Just like her character on "Empire," Taraji P. Henson is not going to take it lying down. The actress, who plays Cookie Lyon on the Fox hit, fired back at 50 Cent after the rapper-turned-producer mocked the series on social media.
Just a few days after "Empire" Season 3 premiered on television, 50 Cent took to Instagram to share a screenshot of Henson along with a headline that said the show's ratings were declining. The post has since been deleted but the damage was already done.
"Well look at the bright side at least. You can eat your trophies," People quoted 50 Cent as saying. "I was talking to old girl but you felt like you had to respond. SMH you know I love you cookie. I got a new show for you BMF COMING SOON !!!#EFFENVODKA."
The "In Da Club" hitmaker, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, was referring to "Black Mafia Family," a new series he is working on for Starz following the success of "Power." The upcoming series will be based on the titular drug trafficking organization from Detroit.
In response to 50 Cent's diss, Henson shared an Instagram message of her own. "For the confused ppl. Do REAL research!!! Loose change makes sooooooo much UNNECESSARY NOISE," she captioned a screengrab saying that "Empire" was still the No.1 show on broadcast TV. "STILL LOOKING FOR THAT DAMN CENT SIGN!!! I guess it's obsolete. AGAIN CONGRATS ON YOUR SUCCESS BLACK MAN!!! @50cent."
The war of words did not end there. The rapper later took to the media-sharing app to fire another diss.
In the post, which has also been deleted, he wrote about how all the mud slinging is starting to turn him on Cookie, according to E! News. The rapper also recalled the time he bumped into "Empire" creator Lee Daniels at the gym, wherein the "Precious" director asked him why he did not accept his offer to star on his show.
"I told him I have a lot going on, I'm actually working on the show FOX is gonna replace EMPIRE with, he looked at me like...why the f**k are you doing that?" he wrote. "It's because I'm a drug dealer, and I was taught to get in, get your weight up, then take over. So that's the deal."
Henson may be feuding with 50 Cent but was all praises for the rapper's "Power" co-star Naturi Naughton in an Instagram post she shared on the same day to voice her support for the actress.
Check out all the other Instagram posts in the video below:
