50 Cent has hit out at CBS anchor Gayle King after she asked basketball legend Lisa Leslie about the rape allegations against Kobe Bryant that have resurfaced in the wake of his death.
In a recent interview with WNBA trailblazer Leslie, King said Bryant’s legacy was “complicated” before going on to quiz Leslie about the allegations faced by the late star.
Posting on Instagram, 50 Cent shared a clip of the moment in question and provided his own real-time reaction.
“It was not complicated. You just said it was dismissed,” the rapper said.
He captioned the clip: “What is this, wait somebody gotta help me understand why they keep doing this. I apologise for my language in advance let’s talk about this.”
Bryant was charged with felony sexual assault in 2003 after a 19-year-old woman accused him of raping her at a hotel in Colorado. The case was dismissed in 2004 after prosecutors said the woman didn’t want to testify in court.
In a public apology to the woman, Bryant said: “Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognise now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way that I did.” A subsequent civil case was settled in 2005 over undisclosed terms.
50 Cent also recently said that Bryant’s death has made him re-evaluate his his history of feuding.
Posting on Instagram, the rapper posted a video of him embracing the late sportsman after a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks.
Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash alongside seven others last month, sparking an outpouring of tributes from the likes of Kanye West, Drake, Flea and Travis Barker.
Last week, rapper Bad Bunny also released ‘6 Rings’, a new song written in tribute to the late Basketball star which samples commentary from Bryant’s 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors in 2006.