AGXStarseed
Well-Known Member
(Not written by me. Edited to remove the word "sufferer")
Rapper 50 Cent apologized to a Cincinnati airport worker after accusing him of being high on drugs in an Instagram video - only to learn the teenager suffers from autism.
In a statement to the New York Post, the rap star said he is 'truly sorry':
'While the incident at the airport resulted from an unfortunate misunderstanding, I am truly sorry for offending the young man,' 50 Cent said Tuesday.
'It was certainly not my intent to insult him or the disability community, which is a source of great strength in America. I have apologized personally to him and his family.'
The 40-year-old rapper posted a clip to his Instagram page showing him ridiculing the janitor, who has been identified as 19-year-old Andrew Farrell.
Farrell's stepfather, Ken Kramer, told TMZ the teen has autism and Asperger's syndrome, and has a hearing condition.
Farrell, who has 'never smoked or had a sip of alcohol in his life' according to TMZ, didn't respond to the rapper's taunts because he has severe social anxiety, the stepfather said.
In the video, Farrell can be seen pushing a trolley of cleaning supplies and products through Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
The 40-year-old rapper, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, says: 'This is the new generation, it is crazy, it's crazy!'
He then repeatedly asks Farrell what his name is but the teenager refuses to reply.
50 Cent then tells the camera: 'Look at him, look at him, what kind of s*** do you think he took before he got to work today.
'He is high as a motherf***** right here in the airport. Pupils dilated and everything.
'The new generation is f***ing crazy!'
However, within minutes of the video being posted on Instagram, his followers rounded on him for mocking Farrell, who finds it hard to communicate due to his condition.
And after one user pointed out he had been to school with Farrell and he suffers from extreme social difficulties, the rapper decided to delete the video.
But despite removing the clip, the cleaner's parents Kent Farrell and Amanda Kramer slammed 50 Cent for mocking their son.
Kramer told WLWT5: 'He’s very upset. The more I thought about it, the more upset I got, the madder I got. This could hurt him for the future.'
Farrell's father added: 'To put this video out there saying my son is on drugs or whatever, that is part of his social anxiety. He’s not wanting to talk, he’s not wanting to communicate, he’s walking on and he’s doing his job.'
Farrell himself said that he didn't understand why the rapper was following him.
The teen remembered thinking, 'Why is he doing this,' he told a reporter with Fox 19 on Monday.
Asked what he thinks of 50 Cent now, Farrell said: 'A jerk.'
The teen's family told TMZ they had contacted lawyers after the video was posted, but said Tuesday they would most likely be satisfied with the apology.
Some fans, however, took to Twitter to say they were disappointed with Fiddy even after the apology.
'Damn I used to like 50 Cent but wow.. Picking on someone with a disability is wild,' one user wrote.
Another user said the video made her lose respect for the rapper:
'Lost all respect for 50 cent after I learned he mocked a disabled person at the airport..did you really have to stoop that low? Unbelievable,' she tweeted.
It is not the first time the rapper has come under fire for appearing to mock people with disabilities.
In 2012, he was forced to apologize to a fan, who he described as looking 'autistic'.
He then followed the tweet saying: 'i dont want no special ed kids on my time line follow some body else.' (sic)
But after apologizing he deleted all of his comments.
SOURCE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ccusing-autistic-airport-cleaner-19-high.html
- Rapper filmed cleaner Andrew Farrell as he worked at Cincinnati airport
- He asked Farrell his name but he stayed quiet due to his social anxiety
- Rapper then insists Farrell is on drugs and calls him 'f***ing crazy'
- When asked what he thinks of 50 Cent, Farrell responded 'a jerk'
- Fiddy apologized to Farrell after learning the airport cleaner is disabled
- 'I am truly sorry for offending the young man,' 50 Cent wrote in statement
Rapper 50 Cent apologized to a Cincinnati airport worker after accusing him of being high on drugs in an Instagram video - only to learn the teenager suffers from autism.
In a statement to the New York Post, the rap star said he is 'truly sorry':
'While the incident at the airport resulted from an unfortunate misunderstanding, I am truly sorry for offending the young man,' 50 Cent said Tuesday.
'It was certainly not my intent to insult him or the disability community, which is a source of great strength in America. I have apologized personally to him and his family.'
The 40-year-old rapper posted a clip to his Instagram page showing him ridiculing the janitor, who has been identified as 19-year-old Andrew Farrell.
Farrell's stepfather, Ken Kramer, told TMZ the teen has autism and Asperger's syndrome, and has a hearing condition.
Farrell, who has 'never smoked or had a sip of alcohol in his life' according to TMZ, didn't respond to the rapper's taunts because he has severe social anxiety, the stepfather said.
In the video, Farrell can be seen pushing a trolley of cleaning supplies and products through Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
The 40-year-old rapper, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, says: 'This is the new generation, it is crazy, it's crazy!'
He then repeatedly asks Farrell what his name is but the teenager refuses to reply.
50 Cent then tells the camera: 'Look at him, look at him, what kind of s*** do you think he took before he got to work today.
'He is high as a motherf***** right here in the airport. Pupils dilated and everything.
'The new generation is f***ing crazy!'
However, within minutes of the video being posted on Instagram, his followers rounded on him for mocking Farrell, who finds it hard to communicate due to his condition.
And after one user pointed out he had been to school with Farrell and he suffers from extreme social difficulties, the rapper decided to delete the video.
But despite removing the clip, the cleaner's parents Kent Farrell and Amanda Kramer slammed 50 Cent for mocking their son.
Kramer told WLWT5: 'He’s very upset. The more I thought about it, the more upset I got, the madder I got. This could hurt him for the future.'
Farrell's father added: 'To put this video out there saying my son is on drugs or whatever, that is part of his social anxiety. He’s not wanting to talk, he’s not wanting to communicate, he’s walking on and he’s doing his job.'
Farrell himself said that he didn't understand why the rapper was following him.
The teen remembered thinking, 'Why is he doing this,' he told a reporter with Fox 19 on Monday.
Asked what he thinks of 50 Cent now, Farrell said: 'A jerk.'
The teen's family told TMZ they had contacted lawyers after the video was posted, but said Tuesday they would most likely be satisfied with the apology.
Some fans, however, took to Twitter to say they were disappointed with Fiddy even after the apology.
'Damn I used to like 50 Cent but wow.. Picking on someone with a disability is wild,' one user wrote.
Another user said the video made her lose respect for the rapper:
'Lost all respect for 50 cent after I learned he mocked a disabled person at the airport..did you really have to stoop that low? Unbelievable,' she tweeted.
It is not the first time the rapper has come under fire for appearing to mock people with disabilities.
In 2012, he was forced to apologize to a fan, who he described as looking 'autistic'.
He then followed the tweet saying: 'i dont want no special ed kids on my time line follow some body else.' (sic)
But after apologizing he deleted all of his comments.
SOURCE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ccusing-autistic-airport-cleaner-19-high.html
