50 Cent has suffered a setback in his ongoing legal dispute with his former girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins.
According to Billboard, a New York appeals court rejected the rapper’s attempt to quickly obtain a default judgment in his lawsuit against Tompkins after she allegedly missed the deadline to respond to the complaint. The court ruled on Thursday (July 9) that there was not enough proof showing Tompkins had been properly served with the legal documents.
“The defendant’s excuse for the delay in responding — that she did not receive the summons and complaint — was reasonable,” the court stated. Officials also pointed out that 50 Cent failed to demonstrate that Tompkins actually lived at any of the addresses where attempts were made to serve her.
The lawsuit was brought by 50 Cent’s publishing company, G-Unit Books, in 2025 after Tompkins shared a series of Instagram videos while discussing Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal criminal trial. During the videos, Tompkins also opened up about 50 Cent’s infamous 2000 shooting and his long-running history with Diddy.
50 Cent alleges that the videos violated a 2007 agreement where Tompkins supposedly gave him exclusive, permanent rights to tell her life story. However, Tompkins has disputed the agreement’s legitimacy, claiming through her legal team that she signed it because of coercion and intimidation.
Last month, 50 Cent’s legal team asked the appeals court to grant them a default ruling in their favor due to Tompkins’ delayed response. However, during oral arguments, the judges appeared doubtful of that request, raising questions about whether she had actually been notified about the lawsuit.
Now that the appeals court has denied the motion, the case will move forward through the regular legal process instead of ending with an early win for 50 Cent. The decision does not determine whether the 2007 agreement is legally valid or if Tompkins violated the terms of the deal. Those matters will be addressed as the lawsuit continues.
50 Cent’s company reportedly paid Shaniqua Tompkins $80,000 for exclusive rights to her life story. The rapper claims the agreement was meant to stop her from making money off their shared past. For now, the outcome of the legal battle remains uncertain.
“We have considered plaintiff’s remaining contentions and find them unavailing,” the court stated.
