Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is taking his fight with ex-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins to a new level, and this time it’s about more than a contract. The rapper filed a motion in support of a request from his publishing company G-Unit Books to seal portions of Tompkins’ court filings, claiming she has been using their ongoing legal dispute over her life rights to damage his reputation. In a sworn affirmation, 50 Cent accused Tompkins of inserting “inflammatory and defamatory allegations” about him based on “purported events from decades ago,” arguing those allegations are unrelated to the current legal matter and were already raised in a previous lawsuit that was dismissed with prejudice.

In his filing, 50 Cent warned the court that if Tompkins’ allegations are permitted to enter the public record without restriction, “the resulting harm to my personal and professional reputation will be immediate, severe, and irreversible.” He also argued that Tompkins has effectively acknowledged the validity of the same 2007 agreement she is now trying to challenge, contending that the contradiction reveals her legal strategy is about something other than the contract itself.

The roots of the dispute go back nearly two decades. G-Unit Books sued Tompkins in July 2025, alleging she breached a contract under which she “irrevocably and exclusively” sold the rights to her life story, agreeing that she would not publicly disclose, exploit, or commercialize any aspect of it. In exchange, Tompkins reportedly received an $80,000 advance along with a percentage of future royalties. The lawsuit was triggered by videos Tompkins posted online in 2023 and 2025 in which she discussed details of her past relationship with the rapper.

One video, posted to YouTube in June 2025, drew particular attention. In it, Tompkins accused Jackson of physically and verbally abusing her during her pregnancy with their son Marquise, and alluded to his possible involvement in a 2008 fire that destroyed her Long Island home, a property she claimed he was attempting to evict her from at the time.

Tompkins has pushed back hard. In a January affidavit, she alleged that she signed the 2007 agreement under duress after 50 Cent’s then-manager, the late Chris Lighty, showed up at her Las Vegas hotel room with a man she believed to be a security guard and warned her of “severe consequences” if she did not comply. “Fearing for my life and for my children’s lives, I signed the agreement under extreme duress,” the affidavit reads. She also disputes the payment amount, saying she received only $35,000, not the $80,000 G-Unit Books claims.

The case has already seen several significant turns. A New York federal judge refused to grant a default judgment requested by G-Unit Books after Tompkins missed an initial court deadline, finding that she offered a legitimate reason for failing to respond and had defenses worth considering. G-Unit Books subsequently filed a notice of appeal, and a preliminary conference has been scheduled for May 5, 2026.

Jackson’s attorney Reena Jain has maintained that the contract was valid and the intent was always clear: “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.”

What started as a breach of contract claim has since evolved into a full-on reputational battle, with both sides now using the courtroom as much for public positioning as for legal relief. With an appeal pending and a conference on the calendar, the case is far from settled.