Rapper and entrepreneur 50 Cent has long understood that legal battles are part of the cost of doing business. The “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” star has openly shared that he’s shelled out up to $24 million in legal fees over the years to ensure he stays ahead of any legal challenges.
On a recent episode of “Million Dollaz Worth of Game,” the rapper, also known as Curtis Jackson, discussed the importance of having strong legal support as he compared the music industry to street hustling.
Lawsuit after Lawsuit
For him, lawsuits are a strategic tool, especially when dealing with people who misrepresent him online. He doesn’t shy away from litigation, admitting he sometimes does it “for recreational purposes.”
“When they agitate me,” 50 Cent said, “I’ll send the f—king lawyers.”
When host Wallo 267 asked about his annual legal expenses, Jackson didn’t skip a beat, saying, “I spend a million a year, any year. I spent $24 million in my career so far…. I spent $24 million in my career on legal fees.”
At this point, this goes deeper than hiring lawyers to do his bidding. He has a legal team that works with him on everything from litigation to business deals.
“I have general counsel,” he said. “I don’t have a manager. Why do I need you to manage me for? I’ve done every deal a 100 f–king times that I would be doing for me as a music artist. Why do I need you to do that for? They all want to work at a percentage and you want a percentage of me? You didn’t build this — I built it.”
Currently, the Grammy winner is still navigating multiple lawsuits.
In January, 50 Cent faced a lawsuit after allegedly injuring L.A. radio host Bryhana Monegain by throwing a microphone during a summer 2023 performance. Monegain claims she sustained “severe and permanent injuries.”
As the case progresses, 50 Cent’s lawyers is pushing back against Monegain’s recent motion for $5,000 in sanctions, which she filed after he missed a proposed deposition date of June 13.
According to the G-Unit general’s attorney, the rapper was served with the “operative complaint approximately two months ago [April 16],” and due to his “extremely busy schedule with contractual commitments, events, and projects,” he has been unable to meet the initial deposition date, In Touch Weekly reported.
They argued, since he lives in Texas, 50 Cent has “made reasonable and good-faith efforts to provide an in-person deposition date in Los Angeles,” offering a September date instead.
His lawyer asserts that Monegain is using these legal maneuvers to pressure 50 Cent into a quick settlement.
In May, he filed a defamation lawsuit against his ex and youngest son’s mother, Daphne Joy, who accused him of physical abuse — claims he has vehemently denied, calling them a “calculated attack” to ruin his reputation.
One of his most recent legal wins involved a lawsuit filed by Cory “Ghost” Holland, who accused Jackson of stealing his life story for the hit show “Power.”
According to AllHipHop.com, the case was dismissed by Judge Analisa Torres, who ruled that Jackson’s character did not directly reference Holland, a key requirement in the $1 billion suit.
Holland initially filed the lawsuit in 2021, claiming that the artist and “Power” creator Courtney Kemp had lifted scenes from his 2007 autobiographical CD, “Blasphemy.” Despite his assertions, the judge sided with 50 Cent, who later took to social media, in typical 50 Cent fashion, to mock the plaintiff.
“Fool thought he was GHOST,” Fif posted, referring to the main character James St. Patrick that the show is centered on.
“Da f*** wrong with these [ninja emoji]s man LOL,” he added.
With his claimed $1 million annual legal budget, it’s not clear that 50 Cent has mastered the art of staying ahead in the courtroom game.
