50 Cent has apologized for making fun of an autistic man on social media.
The rapper was shooting video recently while walking through the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, talking about millennials, according to Time.
“The new generation is crazy,” he says, before turning the camera on a custodian pushing a cart and asking him his name. When the guy shakes his head and doesn’t respond, the rapper follows him, saying “He high … right here in the airport, pupil dilated everything, lookin’ like.”
An Instagram user reportedly saw the video and recognized his former classmate, 19-year-old Andrew Farrell, according to Cincinnati.com.
“He has extreme social difficulties just to let you know,” he wrote. “He has a hard enough time getting through life without jack-sses like you making fun of him. I hope you feel good about yourself. You just lost a huge fan.”
Ouch.
Farrell and his family eventually saw the video and, predictably, weren’t happy. “I was just starting work,” said Farrell. “Pushing my cart, minding my own business.” 50 Cent apologized on Tuesday to Farrell, writing, “While the incident at the airport resulted from an unfortunate misunderstanding, please accept my sincere apologies for offending you. It was certainly not my intent to insult you and I wish you and your family well.”
Farrell and his family accepted the apology, writing back “A great lesson can be learned from this heartbreaking situation. Regardless of the way that another person appears to you, it is never okay to publicly humiliate them via social media. We hope that this situation brings more awareness to what people with autism and other forms of social anxiety suffer through on a daily basis.”
Tony Hicks writes celebrity commentary for the Bay Area News Group. Contact him at Facebook.com/BayAreaNewsGroup.TonyHicks or Twitter.com/tonyhicks67
