Oh Fiddy, Fiddy, Fiddy. The rapper known as 50 Cent, real name Curtis Jackson III, is in a bit of a legal pickle due to some ill-advised social media posts. Currently in the process of seeking bankruptcy protection, Jackson has run afoul of the bankruptcy court in Hartford, CT, because of Instagram photos showing the rapper lounging amidst stacks of cash.
The photos, one of which shows Jackson posing next to stacks of cash spelling out the word “Broke,” were posted four months ago, well after he first filed for bankruptcy. Jackson sought bankruptcy protection in July 2015, after a jury awarded $7 million to a woman who accused him of deliberately releasing a sex tape showing them in flagrante.
Judge Ann Nevins ordered Jackson to appear in court to explain the photos, which obviously seem to suggest that he is concealing some of his assets from the court and creditors.
The posts, with captions by Jackson providing ironic commentary, were certainly no secret: one has 180,000 “likes.” However Jackson filed a statement explaining that they were made using fake “prop” cash, presumably as part of an attempt to maintain his image as a high roller, despite his monetarily diminutive moniker.
So either way, 50 Cent is kind of screwed: either the judge rejects his explanation, in which case he is in big legal trouble, or accepts it, in which case his attempts to look badass playing with Monopoly money will come in for some well-deserved mockery.
In summation: if you are a celebrity who is going to file bankruptcy, do not post photos of yourself rolling in cash for all to see online. Use a fake business and a Cayman Islands bank to launder it into an anonymous account, like normal people.