We’re solely 5 days into 2026, and already 50 Cent has discovered himself on the heart of a brand new beef — this time with boxing champion Claressa Shields.
On Sunday, Jan. 3, the 30-year-old professional fighter took to X to deal with ongoing taunts from the 50-year-old rapper, which stem from an escalating on-line back-and-forth between 50 Cent and Shields’ present companion, Papoose.
After the “Many Males” rapper posted a photograph of a younger Shields with the caption, “Okay the reality is I’m a Claressa Shields fan, suppose she is an incredible fighter, and she or he obtained an enormous combat developing, so I’m gonna chill and let her focus, let’s go champ!” Shields didn’t hesitate to name out the shade implied within the throwback.
“Please… y’all wanna run with the ugly narrative so unhealthy,” she wrote in a put up that included a latest picture of herself within the ring — hair billowing, gentle smile intact, wearing a bubblegum-pink two-piece.
She went on to remind critics that whereas the picture was getting used to mock her look, it captures a second of historic achievement: “I used to be 17 years outdated combating for my total nation and had an OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL AROUND MY NECK! In fact I glowed up! And I’m going to all the time be centered it doesn’t matter what! LIKE ALWAYS!”
In a follow-up put up, Shields widened the lens.
“Boy y’all hate every thing about Blackness. Being Black, Black girls, Black help, Black unity, Black noses, Black a—s. It’s actually unhappy,” she wrote, including the peach emoji. “I’m by no means becoming a member of the hate practice of my very own folks. I didn’t put on a full face of make-up ‘til I used to be 24 years outdated. Nonetheless Lovely & Blessed.”
Her feedback echo sentiments shared simply weeks in the past by former First Woman Michelle Obama, who expanded on a quote from her newest e book, “The Look,” “If you’re a girl within the public eye, you’re usually decreased initially to your bodily look,” she wrote. “If somebody desires to take one thing away from a girl, they’ll attempt to rob her of her femininity, her magnificence.”
Talking additional in a latest interview, Obama mentioned that this dynamic persists due to what’s tolerated from the highest down.
“We now have to select leaders that don’t do this,” she careworn. “I can’t get into the minds of people who find themselves merciless and imply. My empathy says it comes from a spot of brokenness and insecurity — and at a sure stage in life, it’s not fixable.”
Sadly, Shields’ expertise is nothing new for Black feminine athletes. Parallels are straightforward to attract between her therapy and the relentless scrutiny Serena Williams and Venus Williams have endured for his or her athletic builds. On the opposite aspect of the identical coin are athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson and Angel Reese, who face criticism for embracing glam whereas competing — reinforcing the exhausting actuality that Black girls in sports activities are sometimes damned in the event that they do and damned in the event that they don’t.
Within the meantime, Shields — the reigning heavyweight champion of the world, a five-division world champion, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist who grew to become the highest-paid lady in boxing in 2025 — is concentrated on what she does greatest. She’s making ready for a February 22 rematch in opposition to Franchón Crews-Dezurn at Little Caesars Area in Detroit.
