50 Cent’s Former Partner Says She Signed Away Life Rights Under Duress
Shaniqua Tompkins has challenged a lawsuit filed by 50 Cent’s publishing company, G-Unit Books, alleging that she signed a life-rights agreement nearly two decades ago under coercion, intimidation, and severe financial pressure.
The lawsuit, filed in July 2025, seeks to stop Tompkins from publicly discussing her past relationship with the rapper, whose legal name is Curtis Jackson, arguing that her recent online statements violate a 2007 Life Rights Agreement that granted G-Unit Books exclusive control over her life story, name, and likeness. The complaint focuses on a series of videos Tompkins posted in 2023 and 2025, including a June 2025 YouTube upload in which she described alleged physical and verbal abuse during her relationship with Jackson and while she was pregnant with their son, Marquise.
In the same video, Tompkins also referenced a 2008 fire that destroyed her Long Island home, suggesting Jackson may have been connected to the incident at a time when he was allegedly attempting to remove her from the property. Jackson has previously denied involvement in the fire.
G-Unit Books maintains that Tompkins’ statements breach the life-rights contract and amount to unauthorized exploitation of Jackson’s name and personal history. The publisher is seeking at least $1 million in damages, along with interest and legal fees, and has asked the court to impose a permanent injunction barring Tompkins from further disclosures.
In an affidavit published by AllHipHop, Tompkins disputes the validity of the agreement, arguing it was never entered into voluntarily. She states that at the time of signing, she was “entirely financially dependent” on Jackson and alleges he deliberately forced her out of a real estate business to increase that dependency and pressure her into accepting the deal.
Tompkins further claims that the late music executive Chris Lighty, who managed Jackson until he died in 2012, acted on Jackson’s behalf during the negotiations. According to her filing, Lighty arrived unannounced at her Las Vegas hotel room, accompanied by a man she believed to be a bodyguard, and informed her that the agreement was “non-negotiable.”
She alleges that Lighty warned Jackson would use his financial resources, public profile, and industry influence against her if she refused to sign, leaving her with what she describes as “no meaningful choice.” Tompkins says she believed her personal safety and that of her children were at risk if she declined.
“During this encounter, Mr. Lighty told me that I would suffer severe consequences if I did not sign the agreement,” Tompkins stated in her affidavit. “Fearing for my life and for my children’s lives, I signed the agreement under extreme duress.”
The agreement reportedly promised Tompkins $80,000 in exchange for the rights, though she claims she received only $35,000 and that G-Unit Books failed to fulfill other contractual obligations it now seeks to enforce.
In December 2025, attorneys for G-Unit Books moved for a default judgment after Tompkins initially failed to respond to the lawsuit by a court-ordered deadline. That motion seeks both damages and a court order permanently restricting her ability to speak publicly about Jackson.
At the time the suit was filed, Jackson’s attorney Reena Jain said the rights were acquired to protect potential future biographical projects and to prevent what she characterized as unauthorized monetization of Jackson’s name and legacy. “His concerns were ultimately proven correct,” Jain said in a statement.
Tompkins’ response places the enforceability of the life-rights agreement at the center of the dispute, raising questions about consent, coercion, and the extent to which contracts signed under alleged duress can be upheld. The case remains pending in New York federal court.
