The feud began, allegedly in 2009, when Rick Ross criticized Fifty Cent on a rap song “Mafia Music”, in retaliation for when Fifty Cent gave him a dirty look at the BET Awards, of which they were both in attendance. Fifty Cents according to the same Article in the Daily Mirror, claims he did not remember seeing Rick Ross at the BET Awards event.
Fifty Cents responded with his own rap song, entitled “Officer Rickey”, his own slur against Mr. Ross, who was a former police officer.
Lavonia Leviston is a former romantic attachment of Rick Ross. Lavonia Leviston procreated a child with Rick Ross.
According to the Daily Mirror, Fifty Cents escalated the feud by publishing a sex tape that includes Lavonia Leviston, and a former romantic attachment of hers, Maurice Murray, in sexual relations.
The thirteen minute video features Leviston having sexual relations with the former paramour, Maurice Murray, with Fifty Cents face superimposed over Mr. Murray’s head as Fifty Cent’s alter ego Pimpin’ Curly.
The July 14, 2015 Daily Mirror Article claims that the video as of the time of the Article, generated over 4 million views.
Ms. Leviston, according to the same Article said that the publication of the video made her depressed to the point of contemplating suicide.
“It was like someone had just took a knife, stabbed me in the heart, twisted it and took it out”.
Fifty Cents Attorney, James Renard told the jurors in the Sex Tape Case that Fifty Cent was given the videotape from Ms. Leviston’s former romantic attachment, Maurice Murray, who had promised that Ms. Leviston had no objections to the publication of the videotape.
The Daily Mirror Article claims that there is a filmed deposition in which Fifty Cent says that he did not tender Ms. Leviston’s express permission to use the videotape because Mr. Murray said that Ms. Leviston was “cool with it”.
Mr. Renard, Fifty Cents Attorney in the Sex Tape Case:
“This whole fiasco was precipitated by a pack of lies by Maurice Murray”.
According to the August 3, 2015 Article in Law360, 50 Cent claimed that Mr. Ross appeared on a radio show in Washington, D.C., in March, 2009, and informed his interviewer, Big Tigger, that he intended to post the video. The video was posted the following day. 50 Cent claims that he only linked to video.
Ms. Leviston, through her Attorneys, brought a Civil Court Case against Mr. Jackson, claiming Damages resulting from Mr. Jackson’s publication of the videotape.
The Jury in the Sex Tape Case awarded $5 million dollars in compensatory damages to Ms. Leviston. Fifty Cent, also known as Curtis Jackson, filed Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, serving to stop, at least temporarily, the determination of further punitive damages, in the same Case.
July 16, 2015, the Attorneys for Mr. Jackson Objected in the Bankruptcy Court to any assessment of Punitive Damages:
“Punitive damages are penalty claims that are routinely subordinated or disallowed in the bankruptcy courts”.
On July 21, 2015, the Jury awarded Ms. Leviston an additional $2 million in Punitive Damages.
Fifty Cent responded, “Oh, I’m gonna owe that. LOL”.
Ms. Leviston is represented by Elizabeth Austin and Jessica Grossarth of Pullman & Comley LLC.
James Berman, one of Mr. Jackson’s Attorneys in the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy:
“Ms Levison wants her pound of flesh. It is not enough that she obtained a jury verdict and assessment of punitive damages. She wants more than that. She wants to punish (Mr. Jackson) by continuing to litigate against him in this Bankruptcy case”.
According to the NY Daily News, Berman said that Leviston’s Attorneys had the opportunity to question Mr. Jackson and his Accountant in the Sex Tape Case, and should not be allowed to further question Mr Jackson personally in the Bankruptcy Court, regarding Mr. Jackson’s finances.
According to the same NY Daily News Article, Berman continued that if Leviston and her Attorneys wish to know more about Jackson’s finances, then Leviston’s Attorneys should limit such questions only to Fifty Cent’s Managers.
Leviston’s Attorney, Elizabeth Austin, responded that Jackson:
“Filed this bankruptcy as a strategic move to delay and frustrate (the sex tape case) and since that didn’t work, is now trying to use the bankruptcy proceeding to frustrate (Leviston’s) attempts to protect her rights as a creditor”.
Austin added that Jackson is attempting to:
“Hide behind a wall of professionals who appear to have free rein over all of his affairs and finances but he has a duty to answer to his creditors about his finances”.
