50 Cent and the mother of his child, Shaniqua Tompkins, are still going at it in court. This time, it relates to a deal she signed with G-Unit Books and the contractual obligations surrounding the rights to the story of her life. Most recently, the attorneys for G-Unit Books cited a previous court battle involving Donald Trump to counter Tompkins' claims.
Per All Hip Hop, documents filed with the New York Supreme Court show that G-Unit Books is asking the court to dismiss several counterclaims and defenses raised by Tompkins in the ongoing contract dispute. Tompkins references the anti-SLAPP law in New York City, which ultimately works to prevent individuals from lawsuits that allegedly target protected speech. She pushed back against the lawsuit filed against her, claiming that it’s an attempt to punish her for speaking publicly on 50 Cent in interviews and online.
G-Unit Books seeks to dismiss multiple defenses and counterclaims submitted by Tompkins. Court records indicate that two of her defenses may already be off the table after she failed to respond to arguments challenging them–a move that, under New York procedural rules, can be treated as abandonment.
But in response to the anti-SLAPP laws, G-Unit’s legal team pointed to precedent from a separate New York case involving Donald Trump and his niece, Mary Trump. In that case, the judge rejected anti-SLAPP arguments after concluding that the lawsuit centered on an alleged breach of a contractual agreement rather than an effort to suppress speech. G-Unit’s lawyers contend that the same reasoning applies here.
What Is The Lawsuit Involving 50 Cent About?
The lawsuit stems from an agreement signed in 2007, when Tompkins transferred rights related to her personal story to G-Unit Books in exchange for compensation. Tompkins has maintained that she entered the deal under financial and personal pressure, while G-Unit alleges that her later public comments and media appearances diminished the value of the rights it acquired.
