Latest news with #CurtisJackson
CBS News
14-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
A father of 3 felt healthy. Then a routine screening found a rare, deadly illness.
Curtis Jackson was feeling fit and healthy in late 2020 when he decided to update his life insurance policy: He was in better shape than he'd been in a while, but he wanted to make sure his wife and three kids were taken care of if anything happened to him. Jackson, now 46, underwent an intensive physical, and everything seemed to be going well until he received a strange phone call. The call was focused on a questionnaire he had filled out. Jackson had truthfully marked that he did not drink alcohol. But his liver numbers were those of "a functioning alcoholic," he was told. It set off alarm bells. Jackson went to his primary care physician for another round of bloodwork. That doctor thought he had a problem with his gallbladder. Jackson went to have his gallbladder removed. During that operation, doctors found he had an unusual condition called primary sclerosing cholangitis, or PSC. The chronic, progressive disease affects the liver and inflames the bile ducts, causing liver damage. Patients eventually need a liver transplant. There's also a small but real chance of a deadly diagnosis: a dangerous cancer called cholangiocarcinoma. Early treatment and diagnosis can make a difference, so Jackson started undergoing two MRIs a year at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona to make sure he was cancer-free. He also had a regular test to check the progress of his PSC. In October 2024, Jackson had a nerve-wracking appointment where the technician scoping him seemed "very concerned." He felt healthy, but was worried by the appointment. "She didn't say that it was cancer, but she was hinting towards it," Jackson said. Curtis Jackson at home in April 2025. Mayo Clinic Three weeks later, Jackson and his wife received the news he had been dreading: The tests had diagnosed him with the deadly cancer. He would need to undergo intensive treatment to try to fight the illness. It felt like a repeat of when he had had the initial PSC diagnosis. "I was feeling fine ... and both times netted a result of something pretty serious," Jackson said. What is cholangiocarcinoma? Cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer, is considered a silent killer, according to Dr. Tanios Bekaii-Saab, the chairman of the division of hematology and medical oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. Bekaii-Saab was Jackson's oncologist. It tends to spread to other organs before symptoms appear, so most patients are diagnosed "too late to cure," Bekaii-Saab said. About 20% of people with PSC are diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, said Dr. Aqel Bashar, the director of the Mayo Clinic's Transplant Center in Phoenix, Arizona, who also treated Jackson. It's a rare disease, affecting about 1 in 100,000 people in the U.S., Bashar said. Not all cases are associated with PCS. Like many other cancers, it is on the rise, Bekaii-Saab said, with diagnoses of cholangiocarcinoma increasing more than 50% in the past decade. Fewer than 10% of the people diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma live more than five years, Bashar said. The best way to treat cholangiocarcinoma is with a liver transplant, Bekaii-Saab said. But it can only be done if the disease is caught early, before the cancer spreads. Many cholangiocarcinoma patients are not eligible for a liver transplant. Thankfully, Jackson's case was caught early. He underwent three weeks of chemotherapy and radiation to kill as many cancer cells as possible. "Basically, I lived at Mayo Clinic. I would literally do work out of the parking lot, and then go and do radiation," Jackson said. During treatment, he lost about 30 pounds. But despite the odds, he remained optimistic that everything would work out. He even encouraged his wife to start a long-anticipated kitchen renovation. In the middle of the process, the family was told a liver was available. On March 6, he was wheeled into surgery. The Jackson family and their dog Lucy at home in April 2025. From left: Stetson Jackson, Gwyn Jackson, Rooney Jackson, Curtis Jackson and Kim Jackson. Mayo Clinic Surgery and recovery The surgery took about four hours. Six days later, Jackson was released from the hospital. Testing showed that he was cancer-free. For the next year, he will undergo weekly blood tests and have monthly check-ups. He will need close monitoring for the rest of his life, Bashar said, since his transplant needs to be monitored and doctors need to make sure his cholangiocarcinoma does not return. For now, Jackson is trying to focus on his home and family, he said. His routine is "pretty close to normal," though he still can't lift more than 10 pounds, and climbing stairs can be draining. He gained back much of the weight he lost in treatment, and his energy levels are close to where they were before the cancer diagnosis. "Things are definitely getting back to normal, which is really exciting. I wasn't expecting that so fast," Jackson said. "We might call it either lucky, or blessed, or whatever. I am just so thankful that I was able to bounce back so quickly." Curtis Jackson and his children hours after his transplant surgery. Jackson family The Jacksons are putting the finishing touches on the kitchen renovation, and planning to travel to North Carolina for vacation this summer. He also wants to plan family trips outside the country once he needs less frequent check-ups. His other priority is turning his story into something that can help others, and advocating for organ transplant and donation. "I have a new passion now," Jackson said. "I'm here because of these things. I would like to help this going forward and make sure people are learning the importance of donation."
News.com.au
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
50 Cent trolls Sean ‘Diddy' Combs over President Trump comments
The 49-year-old rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, has a rivalry with 55-year-old Combs that can be traced back to 2006. Jackson has been ruthlessly mocking Combs following his 2024 arrest for sex trafficking crimes - which the I'll Be Missing You singer is now facing in court and has pleaded not guilty to. There had been speculation that President Trump could be petitioned to pardon Combs amid his trial, however Jackson has thrown a wrench in such speculation by releasing videos of comments that the mogul has made about the politician in the past.
Fox News
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
50 Cent warns Trump about Diddy after president is asked if he'd consider pardon
50 Cent voiced concerns after President Donald Trump was asked if he'd consider a pardon for the rapper's longtime rival, Sean "Diddy" Combs. One day after Todd and Julie Chrisley were released from federal prisons on a presidential pardon, a potential order for the disgraced music mogul was called into question. In response to a question by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy about his previous friendship with Diddy and whether he would consider a pardon for the producer, Trump indicated that he would consider "if I think somebody was mistreated." 50 Cent, whose full name is Curtis Jackson, took to social media with his own thoughts about the possible pardon and continued his long-running feud with the "Last Night" rapper. On Friday, Trump floated the possibility of issuing a presidential pardon to Diddy, saying "it's not a popularity contest" and "I would certainly look at the facts" if asked. In a federal indictment unsealed on Sept. 17, Combs was charged with racketeering conspiracy (RICO); sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. If found guilty, he faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars or a maximum sentence of life in prison. He has maintained his innocence throughout the ongoing trial in which witnesses have testified to alleged rape, sexual assault, severe physical abuse, forced labor and drug trafficking. The president said that so far "nobody's asked" for any such pardon for Diddy: "I know people are thinking about it. I know that they're thinking about it. I think people have been very close to asking." "First of all, I'd look at what's happening, and I haven't been watching it too closely, although it's certainly getting a lot of coverage," Trump said. "I haven't seen him. I haven't spoken to him in years," he went on, adding that Diddy "used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics … that relationship busted up." Trump, who was photographed at various public events with Diddy in the late 1990s and the 2000s, said that though he never had a falling out with Diddy per se, after entering politics he would "read some little bit nasty statements in the paper all of a sudden." "It's different," he said. "You become a much different person when you run for politics, and you do what's right. I could do other things, and I'm sure he'd like me, and I'm sure other people would like me, but it wouldn't be as good for our country." Trump continued, "As we said, our country is doing really well because of what we're doing, so it's not a popularity contest, so I don't know. I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don't like me, it wouldn't have any impact on me." 50 Cent told the president on social media that his former friend, Diddy, has voiced negative opinions about Trump. "I'm going to reach out so he knows how I feel about this guy," 50 Cent said, per Us Weekly. Days later, 50 Cent shared a screenshot of an article with the headline, "50 Cent Plans to Nuke Diddy's Chances at a Pardon." "I didn't say nuke anything," the "Candy Shop" rapper wrote. "I simply said I will make sure Trump is aware." He continued his words against Diddy and shared a video of the "Victory" rapper talking about the rise of the Black Political Party with the caption, "See Trump don't like sh-- like this buddy, you run your mouth to (sic) much." In another post, 50 Cent shared a video of Diddy saying, "White men like Trump need to be banished." He captioned the video, "Welp can't ask him for help then buddy, LOL." 50 Cent's feud with Diddy dates back years. He told the Hollywood Reporter that Jennifer Lopez encouraged Diddy to work with 50 Cent and that he helped ghostwrite Diddy's "Let's Get It" in 2001. In 2006, the "In da Club" musician released a diss track titled "The Bomb" in which he accused Diddy of having an influence on the 1997 murder of late rapper Notorious B.I.G. "Who shot Biggie Smalls? We don't get 'em / They gonna kill us all ... Man, Puffy know who hit that n----," he sang. 50 Cent told the outlet that he found it weird when Diddy once asked to take him shopping: "I'm just like, 'Naw, I'm not f---ing with this weird energy or weird s---,' coming off the way he was just moving. From that, I wasn't comfortable around him." In a 2018 appearance on "The Breakfast Club," Diddy claimed 50 Cent actually loved him. "You all can't see that he loves me? You really think that's hate? You know he loves me," Diddy said. "Me and him could be friends, but he doesn't want to be my friend. I want to be his friend so I could teach him everything I know so he could become a better money-getter, since I'm the No. 1 money-getter in the world." When Diddy's homes were raided as part of the federal investigation, 50 Cent took to X with screenshots from television coverage. "Now it's not Diddy do it, it's Diddy done," he wrote. "They don't come like that unless they got a case." Months later, a video obtained and released by CNN showed Diddy kicking Cassie Ventura in the hallway during a 2016 stay at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles. WATCH: SEAN 'DIDDY' COMBS ASSAULTS CASSIE VENTURA IN 2016 HOTEL INCIDENT "First, he denied that it even happened, and then the tape comes out. So that means everything that n---a says is a lie," Jackson told the Hollywood Reporter of the 2016 assault video. "When someone watches that, if they have a daughter, and they can imagine her being under those circumstances, that s--- is crazy. Like, they let him get away with it. With all the influence and power you have, the person you're with is supposed to want to be a part of your life, not be forced." Following the "I'll Be Missing You" rapper's September arrest, 50 Cent set out to produce a docuseries with Netflix about Diddy's downfall. "This is a story with significant human impact. It is a complex narrative spanning decades, not just the headlines or clips seen so far," 50 Cent told Variety. "We remain steadfast in our commitment to give a voice to the voiceless and to present authentic and nuanced perspectives. While the allegations are disturbing, we urge all to remember that Sean Combs' story is not the full story of hip-hop and its culture. We aim to ensure that individual actions do not overshadow the culture's broader contributions." Last week, Trump pardoned the Chrisleys among others. The Chrisley family lawyer previously told Fox News Digital that "this case would have never happened if the Chrisleys were not prominent conservatives in the South," adding that once the Chrisleys appeared on TV "the tune changed." Todd and Julie were convicted of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans, as well as tax evasion, and sentenced to 12 years and seven years, respectively. Their sentences were later reduced. Fox News Digital has contacted 50 Cent and Diddy's team as well as the White House for comment.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
50 Cent Plans to Nuke Diddy's Chances at a Pardon
50 Cent, who has spent much of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial trolling his longtime nemesis online, now wants to do whatever he can to ensure President Donald Trump doesn't pardon the disgraced mogul. On Friday, despite telling reporters that he hasn't spoken to Diddy in years, the president declined to rule out the possibility of his issuing a pardon should the rapper's current trial result in a conviction. While nobody has asked Trump to consider a pardon, he explained that some people are 'close to asking' him about it. If they did, he added, he would 'look at the facts' before making a decision. Responding to Fox News' Peter Doocy, who asked about the president's relationship with Diddy—he once called Diddy a 'good friend' during an episode of The Apprentice—Trump shared that the pair had not spoken in years, adding that he'd read some 'nasty statements in the paper' from Combs after Trump announced his decision to enter politics. Haunted by the mere thought of Combs being pardoned, rapper 50 Cent took to Instagram, sharing a video of Trump's response to Doocy and adding, 'He said some really bad things about Trump, it's not ok. I'm gonna reach out so he knows how I feel about this guy.' In a follow-up post made several hours later, 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, said, 'Donald doesn't take well to disrespect, and doesn't forget who chooses to go against him. While working tirelessly to make America great again there is no room for distraction. He would consider pardoning anyone who was being mistreated, not Puffy Daddy.' While Jackson had previously spoken about turning down seven figures to appear at a Trump campaign stop, upon his successful reelection, Jackson posted two photos of himself with Trump to Instagram with the caption, 'I don't care how the fight goes, I'm leaving with the winner s---.' Trump and Jackson have both been mentioned during the course of Combs' trial, with a former assistant of Combs' revealing that the Trump International Hotel in New York was one of Combs' favorite hotels. In addition, Combs' former manager testified that Combs had said to him, regarding his beef with Jackson, 'I don't like all that back and forth… I like guns.' In response, Jackson made a post on Instagram where he joked about not feeling safe, writing, 'Wait a minute PUFFY's got a gun, I can't believe this I don't feel safe 😔 LOL.' He also joked about having to 'lay low' in order to hide from Combs, who is in prison as the trial continues. Jackson is currently producing a docuseries for Netflix about the allegations made against Combs, which include charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He also faces a bevy of civil lawsuits for sexual harassment, including one from ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who accused Combs of rape, sex trafficking, and physical abuse, as well as blowing up musician Kid Cudi's car.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
In Da Anti-Clemency Club: No Sean 'Diddy' Combs Pardon From Trump, 50 Cent Vows
50 Cent is banking on some gangster game recognizing gangster game in an effort to halt any pardon consideration for Sean 'Diddy' Combs by Donald Trump. After POTUS said on May 30 in the Oval Office that he would 'certainly' consider clemency for Diddy are taking a 'look at the facts,' the In Da Club rapper went into overdrive to deny his sex-trafficking trial facing rival any chance at a Commander-in-chief Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free card, preemptive or not. More from Deadline Paramount Plan To Pay Off Trump Sparks California Senate Probe, Requests For Ex-CBS News Brass To Testify Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds '60 Minutes' Veteran Lesley Stahl Expects To Soon Be "Mourning, Grieving" Paramount Settlement Of "Frivolous" Trump Lawsuit 'He said some really bad things about Trump, it's not ok,' Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson wrote online mere hours after the former Apprentice host made his comments about his old party pal Diddy. 'Im gonna reach out so he knows how I feel about this guy.' On trial in New York City since May 12, Combs could end up spending the rest of his life in prison if found guilty on federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and more. 50 Cent has been trolling Combs trial and testimony which saw his name brought up. Today, sidestepping his own past critiques of Trump, the Power EP made it very personal about stopping Combs from getting any favors from the convicted felon in the White House. 50 said on Instagram Saturday: 'Donald doesn't take well to disrespect and doesn't forget who chooses to go against him. while working tirelessly to make America great again there is no room for distraction. He would consider pardoning anyone who was being mistreated not Puffy Daddy' With a jury of eight men and four women and the much-accused Diddy at the table next to his 10-person defense team, the lower Manhattan courtroom has heard explicit and sometimes heartrending testimony of rapes, emotional and physical violence, blackmail, and filmed drug juiced 'freak-offs' from Combs former longtime girlfriend Cassie Ventura, and his ex-personal assistant 'Mia.' As well, Kid Cudi also took the stand detailing Combs' jealous actions during the Man on the Moon rapper's short affair with Ventura. Ex-Combs' staffers, law enforcement officials, 'freak-off' male escorts and more have testified too in what is expected to be an eight to 10 week trial. In an intriguing strategy that has an appeal baked in, the defense from the drop has admitted their client has committed domestic abuse, is a drug user, a swinger, and not a very nice guy. Attorney Teny Geragos mentioned all that in her opening statement. At the same time, the canny defense lawyer also made a point of mentioning that Combs isn't charged with any of that and the government should own up to that. Having handed out pardons to gang leaders, tax evading reality TV hosts, the relatives of donors, and January 6 insurgents, to name a few, over the past few months since returning to office, the teasing Trump insisted Friday that when it came to his once close friend Diddy's criminal case that he hasn't 'been watching it too closely, although it's certainly getting a lot of coverage.' Coverage and media real estate being the true coin of the realm with Trump offered some insight of sorts on his current relationship with Combs. 'I haven't seen him. I haven't seen him. I haven't spoken to him in years,' POTUS said with a DOGE departing Elon Musk at his side in the Oval Office. 'He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics, sort of that relationship busted up.' To Trump's backhanded credit, that's putting it mildly on all counts. For one thing, back in the late 1990s and 2000s, the Art of the Deal author and the All About the Benjamins performer used to hit the town together. In a video invite to Diddy's birthday party in 1998, Trump was featured praising 'the legendary Puff Daddy.' In his 2006 We Gon' Make It track, Combs named dropped Trump as a rich man who lived large. As recently as 2015, as Trump began his first bid for the White House with attacks on immigrants, Combs unabashedly praised his fellow New Yorker. 'Donald Trump is a friend of mine, and he works very hard,' Combs told the Washington Post. It was a very different state of affairs by 2020. As an incumbent Trump mounted an ultimately unsuccessful campaign against Joe Biden, Covid-19 had the country in chaos, and the killing of George Floyd by a now incarcerated Minneapolis cop saw millions take to the streets for social justice, Combs was bluntly dismissive of his once good friend. 'White men like Trump need to be banished,' Combs told Charlamagne tha God five years ago as the Bad Boy Records founder created his own political party dedicated to issues important to Black America. 'That way of thinking is real dangerous,' Combs added, throwing his support behind ex-VP Biden. 'This man is trying to turn us against each other.' With a quickly settled ($20 million) abuse and assault lawsuit filed by Ventura in late 2023 and a flurry of more sexual assault allegations plus federal raids on his Miami and LA homes, no one wanted an endorsement from Combs. Amid the deep beef between 50 Cent and Combs, the Die Rich or Die Tryin' star had been pro-Trump in 2020, then pulled back his backing under duress from some other famous friends. In 2024 50 leaned in hard with claims that he turned down repeated offers to head out on the trail with the GOP candidate. 50 even said Trump offered him $3 million to be at his infamous and often racist October 27, 2024 Madison Square Garden rally. Still, on Election Night, 50 Cent was full MAGA. Before Trump stepped right into it in the Combs case this past week, there has been a lot of talk that members of Diddy's circle have been reaching out to Trumpland about pardons. Trump said on May 30 that 'no one has asked' him directly about such a move. Heading into next week, Combs' trial is nearing the halfway point as the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of New York moves its case into the final stretch before handing things over to the defense. In that context, the words of a man who had an even more deadly beef with Combs that 50 Cent now seem almost prophetic. 'I think he got some favors with the government,' Suge Knight told Newsnation's Chris Cuomo by phone on May 14 of Diddy. 'I think they're going to show him a little leeway,' the jailed Death Row Records founder added on the call. 'It might not seem like it when it's all said and done, but I don't think he had nothing to worry about,' Knight, who's rivalry with Combs in the 1990s has long been assumed to be connected to the very public respective shootings of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. 'I don't think he's worried, because he's going to be federal. And if he gets convicted, Trump's going to pardon him.' As for 50 Cent, he didn't have anything more to say about Diddy or Trump tonight. 50 was too busy watching his hometown New York Knicks go down to defeat to the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs. Best of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Katie Holmes To Simon Hellberg 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More
