Social media is a great tool for networking, keeping up with the news, and…getting in trouble with the law?
50 Cent has been ordered to appear in court after posting a picture of himself surrounded by money on Instagram.
The rapper now has to explain why he’s got so much cash less than a year after filing for bankruptcy.
To make matters worse, ‘Fiddy’ – real name Curtis Jackson – used the cash in the photo to spell out the word “broke”.
Check it out:
An example of what not to do after filing for bankruptcy
The post has racked up an impressive 180,000 likes so far, but the bankruptcy court judge wasn’t so impressed.
Fortunately, Jackson had an excuse: apparently, the money isn’t even real.
“Hip-hop culture is widely recognised as aspirational in nature,” explained the rapper in a court filing. “The standard by which artists and fans engage is commonly tied to money, jewellery, products and advertising over social media.”
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“Products and brands are now marketed through social media as an effective way to engage with consumers,” he continued. “Just because I am sensitive to the needs of maintaining my brand does not mean that I am hiding assets or that I have lied on my filings in this bankruptcy case, neither of which is true.”
50 Cent filed for bankruptcy on July 13, 2015, citing a debt of over $32 million.
Do you think the US court was right to summon 50 Cent for posting the photo? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
