The 39-year-old rapper dodged a potentially costly lawsuit over a sex tape by filing for bankruptcy just before the trial was scheduled to start on Tuesday, May 26.
- May 27, 2015
AceShowbiz -
50 Cent dodged a potentially costly sex tape lawsuit by filing for bankruptcy just minutes before the trial in Manhattan Court was scheduled to start on Tuesday, May 26. The "In Da Club" rapper was previously sued by Rick Ross' baby mama Lestonia Leviston for posting on his website a sex tape she recorded with her boyfriend.
50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, brought the Connecticut federal bankruptcy proceeding on behalf of his boxing promotion company SMS. He claimed the firm owed up to $500,000 and it could not pay. He then asked a federal judge to remove the sex tape suit because he is SMS' "sole owner and manager," according to court docs.
The rapper said in his filing that Lestonia's suit "may have effects on assets and liabilities of the debtor."
50 Cent's lawyers and Leviston's lawyers were supposed to be in Manhattan court by 11:00 A.M. on that day. As Leviston's lawyers waited, an email from the rapper was arrived just ten minutes before the scheduled time, saying that the rapper filed for bankruptcy protection.
Leviston's lawyer Hunter Shkolnik told Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Paul Wooten, "This is the most egregious case of sandbagging." Hunter vowed to petition the federal court to return the case for a trial in Manhattan state Court. Another lawyer Randy Rosenbloom said Jackson's lawyers "never said a word (about the bankruptcy petition)" when they met for 90 minutes on Memorial Day.
Paul told 50 Cent's lawyers in a telephone conference call that their bankruptcy notification was not properly served. "You've really taxed the patience of this court," the judge said, "You could have told us that at 11 a.m. rather than not show up. Not to mention the tremendous inconvenience to the court...you can understand my impatience."
The rapper's lawyer, Steven Losquadro, replied, "To the extent we've inconvenienced the court, I do apologize."
Leviston's lawyers then asked the judge to declare that their client won the lawsuit on default because 50 Cent's lawyers didn't show up. However, Paul deferred a ruling on the default motion.
