50 Cent is dealing with more than just rap beef right now—he’s also preparing for a lengthy legal showdown involving his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his son Marquise Jackson, Shaniqua Tompkins. Earlier this month, a judge threw out a default judgment that had been ruled in his favor in their life rights dispute, but the rapper isn’t backing down.
According to an exclusive report from AllHipHop’s Grouchy Greg Watkins, the G-Unit boss has now filed a notice of appeal with New York’s appellate court in an attempt to overturn Justice Robert R. Reed’s decision. Reed had denied 50 Cent’s request to win the case by default after his legal team argued that Tompkins failed to respond to the lawsuit before the deadline. However, the judge ruled that she had a valid reason for missing it and also had a legitimate defense.
Judge Reed reportedly gave Tompkins 20 days to respond and scheduled a preliminary conference for May 5 this year. She argued that she never lived at the addresses where 50 Cent’s team attempted to serve the legal documents. Shaniqua Tompkins also said she only became aware of the lawsuit after getting calls from reporters.
Because of this, Judge Reed determined that G-Unit Books failed to prove they had properly served her. In response, 50 Cent’s team is now pushing to overturn the ruling through the appeal, hoping to reinstate the default judgment and fast-track a court-ordered injunction.
For those who might not know, 50 Cent’s lawsuit against Shaniqua Tompkins is being pursued through his company, G-Unit Books. The company claims she signed a life rights agreement back in 2007 that granted them control over telling her story publicly. According to G-Unit Books, Tompkins’ interviews and public comments about 50 Cent ended up derailing a book they had planned, leading them to seek more than a million dollars in damages.
Tompkins, however, disputes the claim. She says she signed the life rights agreement under pressure, alleging that 50 Cent and his manager Chris Lighty intimidated and threatened her at the time. According to her, the agreement was not made willingly.
Because of this, the legal fight between both sides appears far from over and could continue in court for quite some time—unless the appeal manages to deliver a win. If it doesn’t, the situation may only become more drawn out and complicated as the case moves forward.
