Judge Questions 50 Cent's Perpetual Contract With Ex-Partner Shaniqua Tompkins in $1M Suit

A New York judge has raised serious questions about a perpetual life-rights contract between Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson's publishing arm and his former partner, Shaniqua Tompkins, comparing the deal to a media suppression strategy according to court documents reported by AllHipHop. New York State Supreme Court Justice Robert Reed scrutinized the 2007 agreement signed with G-Unit Books during a court proceeding in September, questioning whether the contract was designed to permanently suppress Tompkins' accounts regarding her personal history with the rapper.

According to reporting from AllHipHop, G-Unit Books initiated a $1 million lawsuit against Tompkins in July 2025 after she shared online video clips detailing her past relationship with Jackson, which included allegations of domestic abuse. Jackson and Tompkins share a son, Marquise Jackson. G-Unit Books contends that Tompkins violated a contract that granted the entity sole, perpetual rights to her life story, name, and image, with no expiration clause if a book was never published.

The agreement structured an $80,000 payout into two equal installments of $40,000, with the first installment due upon signing and the second contingent upon publication alongside potential royalties, as documented by AllHipHop. Tompkins reportedly received $35,000 after an attorney retained $5,000 from the initial sum. Because G-Unit Books never released a memoir, the secondary $40,000 installment was never disbursed. During the September hearing, Justice Reed noted that the setup resembled a catch-and-kill tactic traditionally used by tabloid outlets to suppress unwanted personal accounts without any actual intent to publish.

Justice Reed voiced concerns over whether such agreements could permanently bar an individual from speaking publicly about their own life experiences decades after signing, according to AllHipHop. In response, G-Unit Books attorney Lisa Coyle maintained that the terms were clear on its face and that publication remained entirely within the company's discretion. Coyle argued that an unfavorable contract structure does not constitute legal grounds for a court to void an agreement after the fact, noting that Jackson may have originally envisioned a joint book covering his early life prior to his commercial rise.

As reported by AllHipHop, Tompkins alleged that Jackson's late manager, Chris Lighty, coerced her into signing the original agreement. Tompkins has publicly alleged instances of domestic abuse, claiming Jackson struck her while she was pregnant, hit her in front of her daughter, and physically assaulted her at Violator offices in 2005. Jackson's legal team has denied all allegations of domestic abuse, emphasizing that Tompkins' prior sworn statements demonstrated her past acceptance of the contractual terms.

G-Unit Books is seeking at least $1 million in monetary damages and a court order requiring Tompkins to take down the online clips, according to AllHipHop. Justice Reed reserved decision on the counterclaims and legal defenses at the conclusion of the September proceeding, indicating that a written ruling would be issued. Both parties are scheduled to return to the courtroom on December 15.