“I registered that as a form of flattery” - 50 Cent responds to backlash over his comments on Michael Rainey Jr.’s alleged assault

50 Cent addressed the backlash he received for making light of Michael Rainey Jr.’s alleged sexual assault during a livestream. Rainey, 23, was approached by Twitch streamer TyTy James’ younger sister during the live video on June 9, where the woman appeared to grope his groin area.

The video soon made the rounds on social media, with netizens slamming TyTy’s sister for her actions. 50, however, had a different reaction and caught the internet’s ire. The rapper and former Power actor posted a screenshot from a publication’s report on Instagram with the caption:

"Wait sexual assault [shocked emoji] from a male perspective this was an aggressive advance. Lol he's fine no charges are being pressed."

He deleted the controversial post after facing criticism for dismissing Rainey's situation. On June 12, 50 Cent posted another screenshot from a different publication's report that addressed his comment on Michael Rainey Jr.'s supposed assault.

The 48-year-old seemingly doubled down on his stance as he explained, and he also received similar treatment from his "female fans" throughout his career.

50, thus, reasoned he did not see Michael Rainey Jr.'s incident as an assault, but rather:

"I registered that as a form of flattery."

50 Cent's deleted Instagram post where he responded to the backlash. (Image via Instagram/@50cent)

He seemingly mocked netizens, as he added:

"But ok right guys put her in jail ! whatever floats your boat."

However, this post was also deleted by the "In da Club" rapper.

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50 Cent's past comment about Michael Rainey Jr. over Power Book II: Ghost cancellation

Michael Rainey Jr., who plays the protagonist Tariq St. Patrick in Power Book II: Ghost, a sequel to the crime drama Power (2014-2020) previously expressed in March that he was unaware that the show was ending.

On March 14, Starz network announced that Power Book II: Ghost will not be renewed after Season 4, which premiered on March 7. Rainey reacted to the news and wrote on Instagram Stories:

"Don’t ask me nothing idk what’s goin on in them offices lmao they Trippin…final season otw tho I guess".

50 Cent, who played Kanan Stark in the original series and is also one of the executive producers of the show, alluded to Rainey’s response and wrote:

"Yeah because @michaelraineyjr don’t answer his phone"

However, Michael Rainey Jr. has not addressed 50 Cent's recent remarks about the assault he reportedly underwent during TyTy's livestream. The young actor issued a statement acknowledging it was an assault and that he was yet to process it:

"At this point, everyone has seen the video circulating online. I am still in shock and don’t fully know how to process what happened last night. This is an unfortunate situation that I do not condone in any way. I can’t take it lightly because I know I would be in serious trouble if the roles were reversed."

Rainey emphasized that "sexual assault is never okay," irrespective of one's gender or status. He added:

"We’re all human and we should respect each other. Most importantly, we should respect ourselves always."

TyTy James publicly apologized to Michael Rainey Jr. following the unprecedented incident and said he had banned her sister from participating in any of his future livestreams.