The 'Candy Shop' rapper has to pay $2.5 million for violating the woman in the video's civil rights and $2.5 million for intentional infliction of emotional distress.
- Jul 11, 2015
AceShowbiz - 50 Cent lost his sex tape battle in the court on Friday, July 10. The 40-year-old rapper is ordered to pay $5 million to a Florida mom, Lastonia Leviston, who said he humiliated her by posting a sex tape of her online.
According to New York Daily News, Jurors in a civil suit deliberated for more than an hour before they arrived at the $5 million verdict. The "Candy Shop" rapper has to pay $2.5 million in damages for violating Leviston's civil rights as he used her image without her permission, and $2.5 million for intentional infliction of emotional distress. The amount may get escalated next week when the jury weighs punitive damages against Cent.
The "Don't Worry 'Bout It" rapper wasn't present for the verdict. In fact, he never showed up since the trial started on June 15. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Paul Wooten told the jurors they were allowed to take note of his absence as he was in New York at the time, celebrating his 40th birthday.
In order to help the jury decide next week the amount of the punitive damages award Cent has to pay, the judge ordered his lawyers to turn over his financial net worth statements and his tax returns for the last five years. He may be required to testify about his finances as well. Regarding the verdict, one of Cent's lawyers, William Brewer, said, "We are disappointed in the verdict, but very appreciative of the service of the jury and the court."
The said video went viral in March 2009 after the rapper posted links to the full 13-minute video on his website. Leviston's lawyer, Philip Freidin, accused Cent of using the video as a tool to drive up his web traffic by dissing his rival rapper Rick Ross, who has a daughter with Leviston. Cent had edited the video which showed Levinston and her former boyfriend Maurice Murray. He superimposed his own character "Pimpin' Curly" in the video and an expletive-filled narration. He dubbed Levinston "b***h" and a "ho" and described her body parts in rude details.
