Over the weekend, a gloating 50 Cent took to Instagram to re-caption a still-popular meme which will have gone over followers’ heads. The put up, meant to dunk on his rap rival Jay-Z, is a picture of fifty from his cameo on HBO’s Entourage, and it’s captioned: “Ok I don’t know what’s occurring, however are we gonna nonetheless have the Super Bowl. 😟I’m simply asking for a buddy!”
If you don’t get the gag, don’t fear, you’re not out of contact. The punchline right here depends on you figuring out that Jay-Z, who on Sunday was named in a civil go well with accusing him and Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping a 13-year-old lady, runs the leisure firm Roc Nation, which has been producing the Super Bowl Halftime Show for the previous 5 years. 50 Cent can also be producing an investigative docuseries on Diddy for Netflix. (A rep for 50 Cent didn’t return The Hollywood Reporter‘s message on Monday in search of additional touch upon his put up.)
50 Cent’s social media show of schadenfreude implies a priority — imaginary or anticipated — that the media consideration surrounding the allegations could spill over into Roc Nation’s profitable partnership with the National Football League. Jay-Z, who serves as government producer of the Super Bowl halftime present, and his firm, remodeled the massive recreation’s musical interlude from a rock and nation affair to characteristic a various array of present artists, beginning in 2020. Aligning with Apple in 2023, the manufacturing was elevated much more, leading to report viewers numbers for current performances that includes Usher (2024) and Rihanna (2023).
The price ticket for these stadium-sized performances is, in fact, within the many thousands and thousands of {dollars} — and that’s with the featured artist performing totally free. The advert income for the 12-to-15-minute halftime present alone may attain eight figures, so, a guideline for a company just like the NFL and its broadcast companion is to avoid controversy, particularly post-Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” fiasco.
So how may Jay-Z, the enterprise, and Shawn Carter, the person, be impacted vis-a-vis Super Bowl LIX, scheduled for Feb. 9 in New Orleans with Kendrick Lamar helming halftime? A response to the civil go well with posted to Roc Nation’s X (previously Twitter) account stands out as the very phrases that make affiliation questionable within the court docket of public opinion. Even if the assertion, written from the perspective of a father and with unapologetic conviction within the voice of Hov, obtained reward for its building.
In it are claims that lawyer Tony Buzbee, who’s representing the feminine Jane Doe, was making an attempt to blackmail the rap mogul by submitting the go well with for such a “heinous” crime. “What he had calculated was the character of those allegations and the general public scrutiny would make me wish to settle,” the page-long put up reads. “No sir, it had the alternative impact! It made me wish to expose you for the fraud you’re in a VERY public style. So no, I can’t provide you with ONE RED PENNY!! These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a felony criticism, not a civil one!! Whomever [sic] would commit such against the law towards a minor ought to be locked away, would you not agree? These alleged victims would deserve actual justice if that have been the case.”
Why Carter posted the unsigned observe to the Roc Nation X account and never his personal X account is unclear; whereas Carter’s X account has been comparatively dormant since 2018, it’s nonetheless alive and has 2.9 million followers (THR has reached out to the rapper’s rep and Roc Nation for remark). Yet the truth that the rap mogul’s response was delivered by Roc Nation is why the Super Bowl contract could come into play — in one other circumstance, wouldn’t Apple, the NFL and Fox attempt to distance themselves from a enterprise companion accused of an unforgivable sexual assault?
In response to the submitting, Carter, by his lawyer Alex Spiro (who represented Alec Baldwin within the Rust case, leading to it being dismissed with prejudice), has demanded the accuser reveal her id, as is customary for a civil case introduced in Federal court docket. A felony declare can’t be filed in New York as a result of statute of limitations for her age and the date of the alleged incident.
Carter is already suing Buzbee, submitting a go well with after receiving a letter from him that was interpreted as an extortion try. An lawyer representing Carter additionally wrote a follow-up message denying the rape allegation formally: “For the avoidance of doubt, Mr. Carter is totally harmless. This is a shakedown. He just isn’t talked about, referenced, or implicated in any approach within the felony investigation of Mr. Combs. He is neither a goal nor an individual of curiosity in that investigation,” it reads.
If profitable in his protection within the civil case, Carter may go on to assert tortious interference, which is when a 3rd occasion interferes with a enterprise contract or relationship, resulting in monetary hurt.
Buzbee has his personal interpretation of the street to authorized bedlam, writing on Instagram that there was a “coordinated and aggressive effort” towards him that has included “submitting frivolous circumstances towards me and my legislation agency, defaming me with outrageous assertions to anybody who will hear, and having mysterious individuals comply with me and my household.” Buzbee added, “People will see by this effort to discredit me and my shoppers and the reality will likely be revealed. I additionally gained’t permit anybody to scare my shoppers into silence.” THR reached out to Buzbee by way of his legislation agency on Tuesday however didn’t instantly hear again.
As this all unfolds in court docket, the individuals are speaking. One X person posted, “Jay Z ought to be faraway from any seat with the @NFL,” whereas one other wrote, “Jay Z ought to lose his job with the @NFL which suggests all his choices ought to be reversed so no Kendrick Super Bowl.”
Roc Nation and the NFL initially inked a five-year contract in 2019; the deal was renewed in October. Carter’s firm has been the NFL’s Live Music Entertainment Strategist as part of the NFL’s Inspire Change Initiative. Upon the renewal, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell mentioned the working relationship with Roc Nation was “mutually optimistic.”
Whether the NFL will take motion to distance itself from Jay-Z throughout its largest and most profitable recreation of the 12 months stays to be seen; THR reached out to a league consultant on Tuesday to inquire about any doable modifications to the upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show however didn’t instantly hear again.
Meanwhile, 50 Cent continues to weigh in on the growing drama, showing in an interview posted to BigBoy TV on Monday that confirmed a bit sympathy for Carter and his household.
“They will fall again… the NFL, they gained’t essentially be related to that,” Jackson mentioned. “I simply hope issues are alright for him internally, on the crib. It isn’t what you probably did. It’s what they mentioned you probably did. The injury is already carried out by the allegation itself.”
