Cosby Show's Geoffrey Owens Explains Why He Rather Work At Trader Joe's Than Take Nicki Minaj's $25K

Actor Geoffrey Owens turned down a $25,000 donation from Nicki Minaj for a very noble reason. To recap, Owens, who rose to fame as Elvin Tibideaux on "The Cosby Show," made waves in 2018 when a fan snapped a photo of him working at Trader Joe's. While he was met with some ridicule, most applauded him for taking up the retail position during a period of financial insecurity. Shortly after, Owens broke his silence about the unexpected attention during an interview with Don Lemon. "I took a regular job so I could support myself and my family, and it all went crazy," he said on CNN, adding, "I never in a million years would imagine that I would be in this position. It's kind of surreal."

Ultimately, Owens' viral moment led to a slew of new acting opportunities — including guest spots on "New Amsterdam," "Power Book II: Ghost," and "All Rise," — which helped to revitalize his once-thriving career. Unfortunately, while promoting his latest project, 2024's "Mr. Santa: A Christmas Extravaganza," he revealed that his financial situation still isn't ideal, despite his return to acting. "Let me make this clear for everyone listening," he said on V-103 Atlanta in December. "Even today, right now as we speak, I still struggle to make a living. I struggle every day to make my ends meet." He continued, "People can't get their heads around that because they see me in movies ... all the TV shows I've done ... people have the impression, 'You're making a lot of money ... why would you have financial troubles?'"

The "Poppa's House" actor, who revealed that he temporarily returned to Trader Joe's amid his career resurgence, also opened up about Minaj's five-figure donation to his cause and the reason he felt he couldn't receive it.

Geoffrey Owens had no problem quietly working a regular job to get back on his feet, but he couldn't find it in himself to accept Nicki Minaj's $25,000 donation. During his interview with V-103 Atlanta, Owens confirmed the long-circulating rumor that the "Starships" rapper had gifted him the hefty sum. "Nicki Minaj sent me money," he said. "She sent me $25,000." However, he didn't keep the cash, opting instead to give it to charity. "At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do," he explained, adding, "If Nicki Minaj had hired me, if she had paid me $25,000 to do something, I would have said, 'Thank you for the work. Thank you, I accept.' Right?" But though he expressed gratitude towards her "gesture," he didn't feel right accepting what he felt was "a generous, lovely handout." He added that there were others worse off than him who could use the financial help.

While Owens' decision aligns with his value of taking care of himself, not everyone on social media understands his position. Underneath a clip from his interview that has since gone viral on Twitter, formerly known as X, some fans blamed his decision on pride. "Pride. Should've accepted it and invested it into what you wanted to do," tweeted one user. Another suggested that it may have been a generational mindset. "Old folks love praying for blessings then giving the blessings away," wrote a second user. Meanwhile, another fan thought that he could've used the money to kickstart a path to financial stability. "I get it but that's exactly how you keep yourself from elevating. He could've created opportunities for himself and blessed others in a bigger way in the long run," they wrote.

Regardless of online opinion, Owens is clearly doing what he feels is best.