Former “Power” Star defends Hardwick against 50 Cent claims.
Naturi Naughton defended co-star Omari Hardwick after rapper-turned-producer 50 Cent criticized him for comments about his worth.
“That’s insane to me,” Naughton said. “Omari is literally the epitome of ‘Power.'”
Naughton, who played Tasha St. Patrick in the Starz series, emphasized Hardwick’s value to the show.
“I love Omari Hardwick. He’s an amazingly talented human. He’s also a good person. There would be no ‘Power’ without Ghost,” she said, referencing Hardwick’s character, James “Ghost” St. Patrick, who ran an international drug empire in the series that aired from June 2014 to February 2020.
Hardwick recently said on “The Pivot” podcast that he was underpaid throughout his career, including his role on “Power.”
“I still haven’t made what I should have made … Never. Period. It’s happening now, finally,” Hardwick said, noting he earned $150K per episode while being “the face of the network.”
Hardwick borrowed money from 50 Cent during production breaks, which he later repaid.
50 Cent, the show’s creator and producer, told “The Breakfast Club” that he and Hardwick aren’t on good terms due to these issues.
“I think he overvalues himself,” 50 Cent said. “… It’s been a long time since he’s been in ‘Power,’ why are we not excited about the new projects?”
When host Charlamagne Tha God asked about these projects, 50 Cent responded: “See, that’s what I’m talking about. … If there was noise going on, if he was that big of a draw, then we would see noise, we would see new things happening. … We’d see you out where you’re actively in a place where they’re looking for you.”
Hardwick hasn’t responded publicly to these comments.
