TBS50 Cent remains in good spirits and is maintaining his sense of humor despite filing for bankruptcy, at least on television.
The 40-year-old rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, had filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday, having incurred debts that range between $10 million to $50 million, which also include damages he was ordered to pay following a $5 million lawsuit over a sex tape. In May, Forbes reported that at one point, the rapper was worth $155 million.
"Yeah, I need protection," a 50 Cent told Conan O'Brien on Conan on Wednesday, smiling.
"You look like you're doing OK—I gotta be frank with you," O'Brien said,
"You know, you get a bulls—eye pinned on my back," 50 Cent said. "When you're successful, and you're publicly known, you become the ideal person for people to have lawsuits for."
The rapper had made similar comments to E! News earlier this week.
"You know when you're successful and stuff, you become a target," he said. "I don't wanna be a bulls-eye. I don't want anybody to pick me as the guy that they just come to with astronomical claims and go through all that."
After filing for bankruptcy protection, 50 Cent posted on Instagram a photo of himself wearing a suit and standing next to a blue smart car in a public parking lot.
"Times are hard out here LMAO #EFFENVODKA #FRIGO #SMSAUDIO," he wrote.
"Times are hard out here, for real," the rapper told O'Brien, adding that the vehicle wasn't his.
"That picture was actually taken by Jake Gyllenhaal," he said, referring to his co-star in the new boxing drama Southpaw.
During the interview, 50 Cent also explained another Instagram photo, which mocked Diddy over a confrontation with his son Justin's UCLA football coach. The rap mogul was arrested on June 22 on suspicion of assault after being accused of wielding a kettlebell during the incident. No charges have been filed.
"Did Diddy find that amusing?" O'Brien asked.
He probably didn't," 50 Cent replied.