Folks are rallying around Megan Thee Stallion after she spoke out about having been shot earlier this month, as Blavity previously reported.
For more than a week, people shared abhorrent jokes and patently offensive cracks in the wake of the traumatic incident, including rapper 50 Cent.
Despite his past experience with the trauma of being shot, the Power producer decided to join in on the jokes, sharing an edited clip from Boyz n the Hood that shows Megan's face on Ricky's body, reports Billboard. He included the caption "Run Ricky, Run," in reference to Megan being shot.
The rapper shared another now-deleted photo of Tory Lanez's head photoshopped onto the body of Mini-Me from the Austin Powers films holding a gun.
He has since taken down both posts and has offered half-hearted apologies on Twitter and Instagram.
Along with the video of Megan speaking on her experience, he wrote, "Damn I didn’t think this s**t was real. … It sounded so crazy @theestallion i’m glad your feeling better and I hope you can accept my apology. I posted a meme that was floating around. I wouldn’t have done that if i knew you was really hurt sorry."
????Damn I didn’t think this shit was real,????♂️It sounded so crazy @theestallion i’m glad your feeling better and I hope you can accept my apology. I posted a meme that was floating around. I wouldn’t have done that if i knew you was really hurt sorry. ????????♂️ pic.twitter.com/7uCsWeT662
— 50cent (@50cent) July 28, 2020
Social media users slammed the apology as insufficient. Many people said the memes spoke to a general lack of respect for the safety and well-being of Black women.
Nah bro we don't joke about sensetive issues like women abuse that's not logic for a grown man like have compassion for once and I hope this will be a lesson for u to respect black women OG we still care about you but we won't accept such behaviour from a public figure salute.
— Gomolemo M ????????????❤????⚽???????? (@Gomza49263288M) July 28, 2020
Some even referenced 50 Cent's own past shootings as a reason why he should have understood why the memes were offensive.
50 knows the seriousness of being shot. For him to say he didn’t know she was really hurt is a bunch of crap. Think before you tweet
— BELLAROSE (@BELLARO2068) July 28, 2020
Others said the content of the apology made it seem like he was only sharing the message because of the backlash and not because he genuinely felt his initial posts were disrespectful.
Fuck 50 cent. What’s not clicking? This wasn’t even a real apology. Anyways Pray for Meg & her peace and recovery ????❤️
— TheMarketingMamí (@WizMonifaaa) July 28, 2020
People also questioned why anyone would joke about the situation before it was publicized that Megan was healthy.
Imagine if Meg wasn’t able to walk again? And clowns like Draya & 50 cent so desperate for laughs made a joke out of it.
— GHANA'S FINEST (@Ghanasfinestx) July 27, 2020
50 Cent has a long history of offensive comments specifically targeting Black women, and many said this latest situation is further indicative of his attitude surrounding violence against Black women.
50 cent so garbage cause even if he didn’t think the Megan situation was real why ur first instinct when hearing a black woman has faced gun violence…. is to laugh and post memes abt it?
— HOOD VOGUE is tired of poverty (@itskeyon) July 28, 2020
50 Cent saying “I wouldn’t have done if I knew you were really hurt” in his “apology” to Megan is wild.
She was shot twice… how would she literally not be hurt by that?
Him saying that shows how Black Women are never seen as vulnerable or victims.
— CANDACE SINCLAIRE (@delafro_) July 28, 2020
50 Cent was not the only celebrity who had to apologize for their response to the shooting. Model Draya Michele was roundly criticized for making light of the shooting on a recent podcast, where she called the injury a sign of true love.
