50 Cent’s ex-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins allegedly promoted the entire content online, violating the publishing imprint with the rapper, a contract signed by G-Unit Books, staring at federal lawsuits.
Allhiphop exclusively learns Tompkins sold exclusive rights to her life story in 2007, including her name, portrait, personal experience and all related promotional uses – a 2007 book.
In return, she reportedly received $80,000 and promised a royalty in the future.
The document calls these rights “unconditional, irrevocable, exclusive and permanent” and there is no room for public comment or monetization outside of corporate control.
But G-UNIT books now claim that Tompkins violated the agreement by posting and sharing a series of interviews and videos that delve into her past with 50 cents and their son Marquise.
She claimed that the rapper ran into her while pregnant with the Marquis in 1996, physical and verbal abuse during his relationship, Beat her in front of her daughter and “beat the mess” in another dispute.
Complaints obtained by AllhipHop Reads.
According to 50 Cent attorney Reena Jain, “Tomkins’s actions were intentional, and she explicitly mentioned that she had violated the agreement she had violated in the event of active violations of it, noting that it was “must be resolved legally.”
G-UNIT’s legal team believes the losses far exceed financial harm.
They say the core value of these rights comes from their exclusiveness, and this right no longer exists once personal information is circulated online.
“Jackson purchased these rights to preserve them in future biographical or autobiographical projects, but in part because of his fears Tompkins would try to monetize through his history and his name. His concerns turned out to be correct in the end,” Reena Jain added.
The company asked the court to do four things: Order Tompkins to remove and stop promoting any media related to her life’s story, paying at least $1 million in damages, asking her to pay her legal expenses and provide any other appropriate relief.
The contract also includes a clause requiring Tompkins to compensate G-unit books for any losses caused by the violation, thus making her alleged violation more important.
