Fans left angered over 50 Cent’s reaction to Power actor Michael Rainey Jr. being groped on a livestream

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Published Jun 12, 2024 at 12:11 PM

Reading time: 2 minutes

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Image by michaelraineyjr from IG

Michael Rainey Jr., star of Power Book II: Ghost, has expressed his shock after allegedly being groped by Twitch streamer Tylil James’ sister during a livestream: “At this point, everyone has seen the video circulating online,” the 23-year-old actor wrote on his Instagram Stories on Monday 9 June 2024. “I am still in shock and don’t fully know how to process what happened last night. This is an unfortunate situation that I do not condone in any way.”

Rainey went on to emphasise that he couldn’t take the incident lightly, stating: “I would be in serious trouble if the roles were reversed. The fact is, sexual assault is never okay, regardless of gender or status. We’re all human, and we should respect each other. Most importantly, we should always respect ourselves.”

The actor’s statement came just hours after a video showing the alleged assault began circulating online. In the clip, James, a podcaster and creator of the independent Twitch channel The Tylil Show, is seen with Rainey and several others in a small room as they kick off the livestream. Shortly after going live, James’ sister, Jahgee, can be seen getting inappropriately physical with the young actor, who appeared visibly shocked.

Following the incident, Rainey and his friends abruptly left the streamer’s home. James initially attempted to excuse his sister’s behaviour, claiming she wasn’t used to being “around celebrities.” “She never seen somebody of that calibre so she started … You see what I’m saying?” the creator said on Twitch. “And that’s my sister so I’m not gonna say nothing bad about her. I’ma just check her.”

However, James later condemned his sister’s actions and issued an apology to Rainey. “After the actions that occurred during my stream last night I would like to sincerely apologise to Michael and his family for what took place,” he wrote on X. “My little sister was completely wrong and out of line. What she did was very inappropriate and unacceptable. I am truly embarrassed and disgusted by her actions,” the Twitch streamer continued.

James added that he would “completely respect” whatever decision Rainey takes regarding the incident and has “banned” his sister from participating in any future streams.

Meanwhile, 50 Cent, the creator and executive producer of Power Book II: Ghost, also weighed in on the incident. In a now-deleted Instagram post, the rapper shared screenshots of TMZ’s coverage and downplayed the situation. “Wait sexual assault, from a male perspective this was an aggressive advance. Lol, he’s fine no charges are being pressed,” the 48-year-old wrote.

Users on social media were quick to criticise the rapper’s comments. One user stated:  “The fact that 50 Cent came out and said Michael Rainey (Tariq from Power) was not sexually assaulted and that he’s fine when he clearly felt uncomfortable and immediately left when that girl touched him in his private parts is part of the problem in today’s society. Women can be predators too. Women can sexually assault others as well and women need to be held accountable. If he did that to her his whole life and career would be up in flames. We have to protect our young black men too!”

Another user added: “50 Cent’s employee Michael Rainey Jr. was publicly sexually assaulted, and 50’s response was to insult him, gaslight him and dismiss the situation. All during “Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month.”

Rainey, who is wrapping up his role in Power Book II: Ghost, has yet not specified if he will press charges against the woman. As Rainey looks forward to the next chapter in his career after a decade in the Power universe, the actor and his fans hope for a resolution to this troubling incident.