Actor Omari Hardwick firmly pushed back on rumors that he has bad blood with his former “Power” co-star Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. Hardwick, 51, is best known for playing the lead role of James “Ghost” St. Patrick in the “Power” crime drama for six seasons. Jackson, 49, played Kana n Stark on the Starz series and later became an executive producer. In a recent interview with Citizen TV Kenya, Hardwick was asked about his exit from the “Power” franchise, though he wasn’t fond of the interviewer insinuating he made ill remarks about his former boss and co-star 50 Cent. NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 22: Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson (L) and Omari Hardwick attend ‘Power’ Season 3 New York Premiere at SVA Theatre on June 22, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Desiree Navarro/WireImage) “I never said some things. I never said some things. Where did I say some things? Don’t ever do that, bro. Don’t ever do that. Who said some things?” Hardwick said to the interviewer. “I didn’t say some things,” he continued. “I don’t really rock like that, do I? You know my brand. I don’t say much. I just lead with love, and 50 only gave me love.” Hardwick insisted, “He might give other people some things, storywise, then they take those things and they make whatever story they want to. That’s not my reality. I can text 50 right now in front of us during this interview.” The Art of Dialogue reposted a clip of Hardwick’s interview on Instagram, where people in the comment section suggested the former University of Georgia football player tapped into his “Power” persona. “He played Ghost a lil [too] good, lol, be careful,” one person said, while a second Instagram user chimed in, “Man turned into Ghost fast!” A third wrote, “That’s how you properly check the bulls—.” Yet another fan expressed, “Yeah, start checking these interviewers, they start BS for views so turn the BS on them!!” However, Hardwick got called out too. “You voiced displeasure on your compensation for ‘Power.’ And 50 said you ‘overvalue’ yourself. Those are the things the reporter is referring to,” said one critic. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Omari Hardwick (@omarihardwickofficial) Hardwick previously spoke about being dissatisfied with his earnings while on the show during a 2022 appearance on “The Pivot” podcast, receiving up to $150,000 per episode. “I still haven’t made what I should have made. I still never made the money — no, the money, I never made what I should have made. Never,” he revealed. While opening up about his time on the show, he even noted the Fif loaned him money twice while filming. “It was the summer after season 1 and then it was the summer after season 2. He gave me $20,000 and then the next summer he gave me $23 [thousand],” Hardwick shared, noting that 50 was fond of his wife and their two kids. “It was absolutely given in a way you know, ‘Take care of the family, bro.’” In addition, Hardwick discussed having concerns about how the “Power” creative team handled the way his popular Ghost character was killed off on the show. “Ghost didn’t get to die with anybody,” Hardwick said in March 2024. “Ghost died alone. The n— died on the floor. The cold floor. That hurt me. That’s not good.” He continued, “That’s not a statement that we should make to the Black community or other communities.” The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity member said he shared his complaints with “Power” creator Courtney Kemp. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Power Universe TMZ (@powerisfire) The story beat that caused Ghost’s death became a polarizing topic among “Power” viewers. Some fans wanted to see the underworld kingpin survive or at least lose his life differently. Hardwick empathized with some of the fans’ criticism. He publicly questioned if the program’s producers and network executives could explain the lead character’s unanticipated demise. “Sometimes I’m like, ‘Damn, is Courtney fielding these questions today? Are the execs at Starz, or is Curtis fielding these questions?’ And for real, I feel like it’s just me fielding these questions,” Hardwick wondered in July 2024. In response, 50 Cent tweeted, “This is a strange bird. The f— is he talking about, I never done nothing but look out for him. If he needed something I gave it to him. I understand now, that s— didn’t matter.” The Queens native’s now-deleted tweet came after Hardwick admitted in 2019 that the G-Unit Films and Television founder lent him money on multiple occasions with one loan amount being around $20,000. Jackson also addressed what Hardwick had to say about his “Power” experience while appearing on “The Breakfast Club” radio show in October 2024. “I think he overvalues himself,” 50 Cent said about his former co-star. “It’s been a long time since he’s been in ‘Power.’ Why are we not excited about the new projects?” The “In da Club” rapper resumed, “If there was noise going on and he was that big of a draw, then we would see the noise and the new things happening. We see you out where you’re actively in a place where people are looking for you.” Following his six-season run on “Power” from June 2014 to February 2020, Hardwick starred in Netflix’s “Pieces of Her,” “The Mother,” alongside Jennifer Lopez and Marsai Martin’s “Fantasy Football,” alongside Kelly Rowland. His filmography also includes acting work in motion pictures such as “For Colored Girls,” “Sorry to Bother You,” “Army of the Dead,” and his latest project, “Star Trek: Section 31.” ‘Don’t Ever Do That, Bro!’: Omari Hardwick Channels Ghost After Reporter Crosses the Line, Tries to Stir Bitter Drama with 50 Cent ...read more read less