50 Cent not laughing at Rihanna’s expense

The alleged assault Rihanna suffered at the hands of boyfriend Chris Brown is no laughing matter, according to 50 Cent. While the sentiment seems obvious, it marks a change of heart for the rapper, who mocked the incident in a video posted to his Web site earlier this month.

“I thought that was something that you could use for humor, like any other comedian or someone else would utilize current events,” he told MTV News. “After I saw the photographs of Rihanna, that wasn’t funny anymore.”

Apparently, 50 Cent originally envisioned the event as a mutual domestic disturbance, leading him to portray Brown and Rihanna as “Street Fighter”-like video game characters in his “Officer Ricky” animated Web series.

“There’s a point you’re already past a woman fighting you back,” he explained. “You look at (the photograph), and it obviously went past that point, so there’s some issues there that definitely gotta be addressed. Not to take any shots at Chris or Rihanna or to take sides in any way, but it’s really not cool. It’s not funny at all anymore. That’s why there won’t be no more references to that from me in any way.”