50 Cent Says Empire’s Ratings Are Falling Due To “Gay Stuff”

It would be a gross overreaction to say that Empire is suffering from flagging ratings. The Fox drama, which was a runaway hit when it premiered this January, was notable not only for becoming a cultural talking point, but for increasing its ratings each week in succession, nearly doubling its audience by the first season finale. And though a cursory glance through your Twitter timeline (or the New York Times) would suggest the show is as popular as ever, it did suffer its first ratings drop. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show suffered an 18 percent drop from the first to the second episode of its new season. (In Empire's defense, shows typically see their highest ratings in premieres, finales and special episodes, and the audience still approaches 14 million people.)

But 50 Cent noticed the drop, and thinks he might have answers as to what caused it. The rapper, who has in the past been critical of the show--among his many grievances is his belief that Empire is biting his Starz drama, Power--reposted an image from Instagram that cites celebrity drama and "gay stuff" as the reason for the decline in viewership. Jamal, one of the show's principal characters, is openly gay. Earlier today (Oct. 5), TMZ reached out to 50 Cent's reps, who said that the rapper isn't the least bit homophobic--he just really, really hates Empire. Maybe the feeling is mutual: Twitter's feelings weren't hard to trace when he was name-dropped in the second season's premiere.