50 Cent went to bankruptcy court with wads of fake cash stuffed in his pants


50 Cent is currently in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy battle where various people who have successfully sued him for legitimate reasons (posting a sex tape online, stealing the designs for his headphones) are trying to recover money he owes them. We recently heard that the judge requested 50 to appear in court to explain why he has been posting photos on social media in which he’s posing with stacks of cash in the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. 50 has been doing this for years, and after posing for bankruptcy he seems to have amped it up a little.

50s legal team, the one which compared his creditor’s repayment plan to slavery (they really did this), has an explanation for all that. Apparently it’s for his “brand,” the cash is fake, and 50 is doing it for publicity. Also, 50 doesn’t really own that estate in Africa he tweeted about and failed to disclose on his financial statement to the court, he made that up for Twitter too:

50 Cent… said in a court filing late Tuesday that the stacks of cash in the photos are actually prop money, which is specially made for the studio lighting used in filming music videos and photo shoots…

“As a hip-hop artist and entertainer, it is imperative that I continue to project aspirational goals of success in order to preserve my brand and those I represent,” Mr. Jackson said. “What I say and what I do on social media has a direct impact on my music sales and the viewership on my television shows…

“Just because I am sensitive to the needs of maintaining my brand does not mean that I am hiding assets or that I have lied on my filings to this bankruptcy case,” Mr. Jackson said in court papers.

In a footnote, Mr. Jackson’s lawyers point out that their client would know better than to post photos of secret assets: “If [Mr. Jackson] was attempting to hide assets (which he has not done), one would think that those assets would never have been disclosed on social media for all to see.”

Several of the rapper’s posts were flagged by Lastonia Leviston, who won $7 million in a sex-tape dispute but hasn’t been able to collect that money since Mr. Jackson filed for bankruptcy last summer. Two other groups—Mr. Jackson’s mortgage lender and a partner in a failed headphone deal owed roughly $18 million—joined her in a fight to have an outside financial professional manage his money until he pays off the $30 million he owes creditors…

One of Mr. Jackson’s controversial Instagram photos showed cash piles in his fridge. Another showed him arranging bundles to spell out the word “BROKE.”

What about the post about his purchase of a luxury home in Africa? “I do not own, nor have I ever owned, any real property in Africa,” Mr. Jackson said in Tuesday’s filing.

In court papers, Mr. Jackson’s lawyers said that the social media posts “are not necessarily representative of [Mr. Jackson’s] real life.” Celebrities often borrow items like jewelry “to market products or create the illusion of enhanced wealth or success,” they added.

“[Mr. Jackson’s] public image is necessary to these endorsements and social media is a critical advertising medium. But it is just that—advertising,” they said, also noting “the only difference between such an advertisement and a posting on social media is the enhanced illusion of reality, which is what makes social media such a valuable advertising medium.”

Tuesday night’s court filings also slammed the Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program, whose officials patrol the bankruptcy courts for wrongdoing and called for an investigation into the social media posts: “The fact that UST believed the posts were real is simply proof of their efficacy.”

[From The Wall Street Journal]

I love the circular logic in that final statement “The fact that UST believed the posts were real is simply proof of their efficacy.” 50 is trolling everyone, he’s not promoting himself. He just looks like he’s trying to hide assets from both his creditors and the IRS and I hope the court throws the book at him. 50’s side has filed a “debt-repayment plan that promises to pay $23 million over the next five years, plus a large chunk of any money he wins in a malpractice lawsuit.” That plan is still awaiting approval from the judge, although the creditors are said to be in agreement.

So instead of being respectful and letting his lawyers see if the ridiculous spin they tried to put on his cash pics would stick, 50 Instagrammed a photo of himself outside of court with cash stuffed in his pants. Then he posted yet another photo responding to the NY Times’s coverage, which was staid, dry and funny as hell. The NY Times’ Jonah Bromwich wrote “If the hearing left Mr. Jackson feeling chastened, he certainly did not show it on social media.” 50 took offense to that and then posted a comically oversized photo where he’s shown wrapping presents in front of a scene of homelessness or something. I doubt he has the skill to do this, he must have hired someone to put that together. I screencapped these Instagram posts on the off chance that one of his lawyers convinces him to remove them, but he’s come this far, I bet they’ll stay up.

Screen Shot 2016-03-10 at 9.27.53 AM

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Still got a little Pocket money #FRIGO 😳 LMAO

A photo posted by 50 Cent (@50cent) on

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20 Responses to “50 Cent went to bankruptcy court with wads of fake cash stuffed in his pants”

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  1. Dani says:

    What a turd.

  2. boredblond says:

    The obvious joke being ‘ Are you really rich or just glad to see me’…

  3. Nicole says:

    The thing is, if he looks like a loser, his career and cashflow are done. Hip Hop personas are not about being poor and law abiding.

  4. Mia V. says:

    He should be sued for bad music.

  5. swak says:

    Just can’t with this person. Another idiot out there thinking he/she is all that important to society and that we care about his brand. Good music sells, not that you are putting up photos of you with tons of cash. That makes me NOT want to buy your music.

  6. littlemissnaughty says:

    He’s so classy. And smart. Arguing in bankruptcy court that you need to bathe in fake money to keep up the appearance of wealth so people believe in your image and … give you money? What? So you publicly declare you’re broke but would like everyone to know you can look rich on Instagram?

  7. Snazzy says:

    Can we change the article title to: 50 cent is a douche canoe troll?

  8. Heather says:

    No way this guy isn’t hiding major assets.

    The Judge should check the stacks. I think the top layer is fake and the rest is real.

  9. QQ says:

    Bwahahah Sorry but i LOVE that he is this Petty and ridiculous and that his high road is forever under construction and that this has put him in this predicament and that now is a Circular argument and that there is gonna have to be a court order and a detective to prove what is what cause HOW ELSE ARE THEY GONNA PROVE IT’S NOT FAKE MONEY??!? LOLOL

    *full disclosure Im super high*

    But Think about it, He Cannot help his f*ckboi instinct that leads him to these casual money brags and now either they start tailing his ass and forensic accounting or what??!?

    • holly hobby says:

      All the UST has to do is hire a forensic accountant. UST do hire accts to look at someone’s financial records.

      He should fire his bk attorneys. Where did he find them? the 800 referral hotline?

  10. PinaColada says:

    I can’t believe everyone thinks the money is fake! I think he really does have money/is hiding assets and lied about the “oh that’s fake money” part

  11. Fluffytoes says:

    It’s a great irony. He’s such an amazingly unpleasant person, and the one thing that made him relevant/redeemable is one thing he is barred from flaunting. He’s nothing without money. Even if he has it, which I believe he does, he has to hide it and deny it. It’s killing him, and it’s absolutely delicious. He can ‘wink, wink, nod, nod’ all he wants, but he has to play broke or he’s really going to be broke with of his settlements.

    I don’t believe in karma, but this may make me change my mind.

  12. Ashley says:

    I usually really dislike such obvious trolling, but I find this and his inability to back down hilarious.

  13. Bread and Circuses says:

    I much prefer this version of events. Having that much money, in cash, on your person, just seems stupid. I’m actually glad to hear he uses fakes.

  14. maxc says:

    So in his own words, he’s a fraud.

  15. ixia says:

    Basically, 50 Cent is the human version of Cash Cats: https://www.instagram.com/cashcats/ It’s more humorous when it’s cats though, and not someone trying to rip of the US gov’t (and by extension, the US population as a whole, since gov’t money pays for public services).