Taraji P. Henson Fires Back at 50 Cent After ‘Empire’ Diss

Taraji P. Henson channeled her inner Cookie Lyons and fired back at 50 Cent.

The rapper-turned-producer, 41, took to Instagram to share a screenshot of Henson, 46, with a headline claiming her show Empire’s ratings were dropping.

“Well look at the bright side at least. You can eat your trophies,” 50 Cent in a since-deleted Instagram post, according to E! News. “I was talking to old girl but you felt like you had to respond. SMH you know I love you cookie. I got a new show for you BMF COMING SOON !!!#EFFENVODKA.”

Henson responded with her own screengrab, sharing a statement that her show “remains the No. 1 show on broadcast TV.”



“For the confused ppl. Do REAL research!!! Loose change makes sooooooo much UNNECESSARY NOISE. STILL LOOKING FOR THAT DAMN CENT SIGN!!! I guess it’s obsolete. AGAIN CONGRATS ON YOUR SUCCESS BLACK MAN!!! @50cent,” Henson wrote in a post on Saturday.

But slamming 50 Cent was not going to stop Henson from sharing support for 50 Cent’s Power costar Naturi Naughton.

“Sooooooooo proud of you@naturi4real I WANT YOU TO KNOW I will NEVER let any NEGATIVITY come between the LOVE I have for my sisters!!! As women we put up with enough BS. I will NEVER add to that stress and heartache!!! YOU ARE DOPE on #Powerand in life!!! #BlackGirlMagic SHINE BABY SHINE,” Henson wrote.

In response, 50 Cent took to Instagram yet again to throw some more punches.

“All this back and forth s–t is starting to turning me on cookie, LMAO I ran into Lee Daniels at the gym on Sunset Blvd. he asked why I didn’t except his offer to be on EMPIRE. I told him I have a lot going on, I’m actually working on the show FOX is gonna replaceEMPIRE with, he looked at me like…why the f–k are you doing that?” he wrote in a subsequent – and since-deleted – post. “It’s because I’m a drug dealer, and I was taught to get in, get your weight up, then take over. So that’s the deal #EFFENVODKA #smsaudio #FRIGO.”

And the feud doesn’t stop there. On Sunday afternoon, 50 Cent posted a promo for his show’s finale with the caption, “Tonight 9pm it is gonna be made very clear there is no competition there is only POWER. Anyone who has seen it on demand, or on the Starz app will tell you. Nothing out can compare. BMF Coming Soon I’m gonna change Tv.#EFFENVODKA.”

Empire airs Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. on FOX and Power airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m. on Starz.