50 Cent's publishing company has filed a lawsuit against his ex-girlfriend, Shaniqua Tompkins, for allegedly promoting tell-all content online, according to documents obtained by AllHipHop. The move violates a contract she signed with the imprint, G-Unit Books, back in 2007. With the deal, 50 claims she sold off the exclusive rights to her life story for $80,000 and future royalties.
The complaint centers around a series of video interviews posted on social media. In them, she discusses her relationship with 50 Cent as well as their son, Marquise. She alleges that 50 assaulted her during her pregnancy and was abusive throughout their relationship.
“Capitalizing on her recent notoriety from a ‘viral’ post commenting on testimony in the high-profile ‘Diddy’ trial, Tompkins has repeatedly and deliberately exploited the very rights she conveyed to G-Unit Books,” the complaint reads.
50's lawyer, Reena Jain, adds: “Tompkins’ behavior was intentional—she explicitly referenced the very agreement she breached while she actively breached it, stating it was something that was ‘going to have to be worked out legally.'”
“Jackson purchased these rights to preserve them for use in future biographical or autobiographical projects, but also in part because he was concerned that Tompkins would attempt to monetize their history and his name. His concerns were ultimately proven correct," Jain continues.
50 Cent & Shaniqua Tompkins' Relationship
With the complaint, 50 Cent wants Tompkins to remove and stop promoting the material in question, pay damages amounting to $1 million, as well as any losses G-Unit Books suffers as a result of the breaches. Additionally, he's requesting that she cover legal expenses for the entire ordeal.
50 Cent and Shaniqua Tompkins dated on and off throughout the 1990s, according to People. Their relationship ended long before he achieved worldwide fame with his debut studio album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. They welcomed Marquise as their only son in October 1996. After splitting up, the two locked into a lengthy custody battle that didn't reach an official conclusion until October 2008.
