50 Cent Apologises

Rapper 50 Cent has done it again, and landed himself in a load of controversy. When in Cincinnati International Airport over the weekend, he approached Andrew Farrell, who has autism, and accused him of being high before posting a video of him to Twitter.

This isn’t the first time that 50 Cent has faced criticism for showing ableism. In 2012, he apologised (pictures below) after telling a Twitter fan “yeah just saw your picture fool you look autistic,” and “I don’t want no special ed kids on my time line follow some body else.” And so it looks like the rapper hasn’t learned from his mistakes.

Since posting the video, several businesses have pulled 50 Cent’s Effen Vodka from their shelves, and there was talk of a potential lawsuit. However, the situation has been diffused as 50 Cent apologised to the man and his family and made a $100,000 donation to ‘Autism Speaks’, which is a non-profit charity supporting those with autism. Hopefully 50 Cent will finally become more self-aware, and follow the message that Autism Speaks posted to Facebook today:

“We thank Andrew Farrell and his family, who graciously turned an unfortunate situation into something positive. 50 Cent’s apology to Andrew and generous donation to Autism Speaks at the family’s request call attention to the deep hurt – intended or not – inflicted by snap judgements and social media bullying. Not every disability is visible, but it is easy to see a person’s humanity. This donation will support our mission to increase awareness and foster better understanding of the autism spectrum. Everyone, regardless of differences, deserves acceptance, compassion and respect.”