Ice Cube responds to accusations of underpaying actors in 1995 film, ‘Friday’

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After Friday co-star Faizon Love recently revealed he didn’t return for the 2000 sequel film Next Friday because of low pay, Twitter erupted, accusing the film’s star and producer, Ice Cube, of underpaying the actors. Now the former N.W.A. member is responding

Love, who played the character Big Worm in Friday in 1995, told Comedy Hype he was paid only $2,500 for his role. “You can’t be,” he responded when asked if he felt “bitter” about his pay. But Love later confirmed that money was the reason he didn’t return for the sequel, Next Friday. “They wanted to give me double scale. So scale was $2,500, right? So double scale was $5,000,” Love commented. “The day after I said ‘No,’ I got a call to do a film for Warner Brothers called [The] Replacements and they paid me $100,000. So I ain’t crazy.”

One person tweeted, “Yo it’s wild how @icecube act like he for the people and whole time been robbing his own people.”

“I didn’t rob no f***in nobody,” Cube responded. “The 1995 Friday movie cost $2.3m to make. Shot it in 20 days. Faizon worked 1 day, maybe 2. All the actors got paid scale to do the movie. They could’ve simple said ‘No’ but they didn’t. ”

Faizon was surprised his comments ignited a controversy, and showed nothing but “love” for Cube.

“I not only consider Ice Cube a comrade but my brother and I’m still a fan,” he tweeted. “I guess it’s a slow news week so let me say what I got paid is a moot point…I have zero regrets. I want to take this time to thank Cube, DJ Pooh, and Felix Gary Grey for letting me be apart of such an iconic picture.”

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