Appeals Court Questions 50 Cent's Attorney in Ex-Girlfriend Life Rights Lawsuit

A New York appeals court panel subjected 50 Cent's attorney, Josh Reisberg of Blank Rome, to sharp questioning during a recent hearing concerning a lawsuit against the rapper's ex-girlfriend, Shaniqua Tompkins. The rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, initiated the lawsuit last year through his publishing company, G-Unit Books, claiming Tompkins' Instagram posts violated a 2007 agreement.

50 Cent's legal team is asking the state appeals court to grant him a victory by default. They contend that Tompkins forfeited her right to respond to the case due to a delay in her response. However, at a court hearing on Thursday, June 12, a panel of five appellate judges received this argument with notable skepticism.

The judges specifically questioned the premise that Tompkins had been properly served with the lawsuit, noting there was "no indication" she had ever seen it. One judge asked Reisberg whether he was seeking a default judgment for a four-month delay when it did not appear the defendant was properly served. Reisberg reportedly disagreed with this characterization but was pressed on the proof his process servers had for Tompkins' addresses, which he stated were pulled from digital databases.

Tompkins, the mother of 50 Cent's child Marquise Jackson, responded to the lawsuit in January. She asserted that she was never properly served and, if given the opportunity, would rebut the accusations. Tompkins claimed the 2007 agreement, in which she allegedly sold "all rights to exploit her life story" for $80,000, was invalid. She stated in an affidavit that she signed the agreement "under extreme duress," fearing for her and her children's lives, and was not given the chance to seek independent counsel or negotiate terms.

The lawsuit stemmed from a series of Instagram posts by Tompkins that went viral, commenting on the criminal trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs. Her videos reportedly touched upon 50 Cent's infamous 2000 shooting and his long-running feud with Combs. 50 Cent's attorneys previously stated that the 2007 agreement was intended to protect his reputation and prevent Tompkins from monetizing their history.

According to Billboard, Reisberg did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the hearing.