Nicki Minaj said she plans donate $25,000 to actor Geoffrey Owens after pictures of him bagging groceries at Trader’s Joe went viral.
On Minaj’s Queen Radio show on Thursday, the rapper said, “I personally want to donate on behalf of Queen Radio $25,000 to Geoffrey Owens. You know why? Imma tell you something. This man is a whole f—ing legend in these streets.”
Owens, best known for playing the Huxtables’ son-in-law Elvin Tibideaux on “The Cosby Show,” was thrust into the limelight after a photo of him bagging groceries at a Trader Joe’s surfaced on the Daily Mail and Fox News. Both were accused of shaming him for working at the grocery chain.
The stories sparked outrage on social media, just as America was firing up its Labor Day Weekend barbecues. Owens’ fans pointed out that he deserved praise for taking the job, not snark.
Soon several Hollywood figures came to Owens’ defense as actors, directors and other industry folk talked about the other jobs they had taken on when they didn’t have steady work in the industry. Tyler Perry offered him a job, which Owens accepted, the actor told TheWrap on Thursday.
Owens’ IMDb page is packed with credits, including recent appearances on hit shows like “Blue Bloods,” “The Blacklist” and “The Affair.” He’s also starred on Broadway as recently as 2013 in “Romeo and Juliet.”
Minaj also talked about how upset she was at the woman who snapped the photo and sent it to celebrity websites. Karma Lawrence had said she now regrets taking the picture.
A spokesperson for Owens has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Listen to the audio above.