Hip-hop mogul 50 Cent had a bad court date recently.
On June 30, U.S. District Judge Vanessa Bryant in New Haven, Connecticut, ruled that a bankruptcy court made the right decision to dismiss the rapper’s $32 million lawsuit against his former law firm, Reed Smith, and its former partner Peter Raymond.
50’s Lawsuit
50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, had accused the firm of legal malpractice, claiming that the firm’s uninformed legal strategy and a conflict of interest contributed to his losing $7 million in a trial.
Reed Smith represented 50 Cent when he was sued by a woman over the online posting of a sex tape as part of a feud with rapper Rick Ross. The woman, Lastonia Leviston, was an ex-girlfriend of Ross.
50 Cent fired the firm in March 2015, and four months later he went to trial, where he was ordered to pay $7 million in damages.
Following the verdict, 50 Cent filed for bankruptcy in Connecticut. During the bankruptcy proceedings, Reed Smith filed a claim seeking over $609,000 in unpaid attorney fees. The artist responded by filing a legal malpractice claim, seeking $7 million in actual damages and $25 million in punitive damages. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Ann Nevins dismissed 50 Cent’s claims in two separate decisions in March 2019 and June 2021, Reuters reported.
50 Cent subsequently appealed Nevins’ decisions in Bryant’s court.
New Ruling
According to Bryant, 50 Cent did not offer enough evidence to demonstrate how the alleged conflict of interest impacted his case or caused his loss at trial.
The Emmy and Grammy Award-winning multi-hyphenate reportedly has an estimated net worth of $40 million. He is also a successful television and film producer and operates a successful liquor company: Sire Spirits.
Life Continues
50 Cent is scheduled to commence his “Final Lap Tour” this month, commemorating the 20th anniversary of his debut album, “Get Rich or Die Tryin’.” The Final Lap Tour will make stops across North America and Europe, including in places such as Toronto, Brooklyn, Atlanta, Houston, Amsterdam, Oslo, Norway, and Paris, France. The first U.S. date will be on July 21 at Maverik Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the European leg will start on Sept. 28 at Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
