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How Bette Midler Recruited 50 Cent for a Surprising Tree-Planting Campaign


EminemHow Bette Midler Roped 50 Cent Into Planting TreesBy eProTeamAugust 14, 2026


Two smiling adults posing outdoors, a man in a light blue shirt with a gold pendant and a blonde woman wearing a yellow scarf standing together.

Fifty appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote his new UK-based TV show Fightland. However, he spent a lot of time talking about Bette Midler. She roped him into helping restore green spaces in New York.

Fallon started the conversation by pulling out a photo of 50 Cent with Bette Midler, the iconic American singer and actress. Fifty’s friendship with Midler goes back to their work on the Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson Community Garden in Jamaica, Queens. They met at one of her fundraising events back in 2008. Bette would invite celebrities to “adopt a tree” by paying for a sapling, but 50 Cent ended up adopting the larger idea: using money and visibility to make the city better.

Additionally, Fifty described how Midler, though small in stature, intimidated him into parting with his money.

It inspired him to do more good for his neighborhood.

NYRP, her organization, they do all the green in the city. The whole idea to do it, it came from me meeting with Bette. Additionally, When I realized what they did, I was like, “Yo, I want to do that in my neighborhood”.

She invited me to this banquet.

It was really nice.

I didn’t know it was even going on in the city.

The tables were like $25,000 to attend.

However, they didn’t even charge me the $25,000.

So I thought this is cool.

When we got there, they had these paddles at the table, and then I had the paddle. Additionally, they came to make sure I had the paddle. So, a cherry tree was like $2,500. And she was like, “Now, who’s going to get 10 cherry trees?”

Fifty imitated Bette’s steely stare and pointing finger aimed at him.

Therefore, Fif raised the paddle.

Additionally, that was $25,000 real fast.

According to the G-Unity Foundation website, the larger project cost even more.

Fifty partnered with Bette Midler’s environmental nonprofit.

the New York Restoration Project.

They transformed neglected Baisley Park in Queens into an outdoor children’s learning garden and community area.

Yet this will last longer.

It will leave a more positive impact than any new car or gold chain can promise.

That is the kind of legacy that can outlive a person.


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