50 Cent Mocks a Man With Social Anxiety Disorder on Instagram
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Rapper 50 Cent is infamous for his brash insults; just ask Floyd Mayweather, Rick Ross or Ja Rule.
But people aren't laughing at the way he targeted his latest victim. And since, he's even issued an apology and response.
The Queens rapper posted video of himself mocking an Ohio airport janitor, whom the rapper believed to be high, over the weekend. But it turns out that the employee, later identified as 19-year-old Andrew Farrell, suffers from social anxiety disorder and a hearing impairment.
Farrell’s father told the New York Daily News that his son is also slightly autistic.
"This new generation is crazy," the rapper said, walking beside Farrell as he carts a garbage can through the airport. "What kind of shit you think he took before he got to work today? He's high as a motherfucker right here in this airport."
Even before it was revealed that Farrell suffers from severe social anxiety, 50 Cent's Instagram account was flooded with criticism, prompting him to remove the post, Mic reports.
On Sunday, a former high school classmate of Farrell posted screenshots from the video in a separate Instagram post, writing that Farrell "has a hard enough time getting through life without jackasses like you making fun of him."
The rapper has since issued an apology, according to WDTN.
The viral video comes right in the midst of national mental health awareness month.
If there's a lesson to be taken from this exchange, it ought to be that mental illness isn't always apparent; and with that in mind, it's important to avoid jumping to conclusions about an individual based on their behavior. Approximately 15 million Americans suffer from social anxiety disorder, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
"I want people to know that he's a good kid," Farrell's mother, Amanda Kramer, told Cincinnati.com. "He doesn't get in trouble. He's not a drug addict. I want [50 Cent] to apologize to him more than anything and say that he was wrong. He should not have made those snap judgments."
Update: 4/4 7:56 a.m PST: This story was updated to include an apology issued by 50 Cent.
