A New York appeals court has denied 50 Cent's attempt to secure a default victory in his legal dispute with former girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins over a series of Instagram posts.
The rapper filed the lawsuit against Tompkins last year, arguing that her online posts breached a 2007 agreement in which she allegedly transferred the rights to her life story to him permanently.
In January, Tompkins' legal team responded by claiming she signed the agreement under pressure, alleging she was intimidated and threatened into accepting its terms.
50 Cent's attorneys sought a default judgment after pointing out that Tompkins took several months to formally answer the lawsuit. However, the appeals court ruled on Thursday that the request would not be granted.
According to Billboard, Tompkins, who shares son Marquise Jackson with 50 Cent, drew widespread attention after posting comments on Instagram about the criminal trial involving Sean "Diddy" Combs.
Speaking about the agreement, Tompkins stated in an affidavit, "I was given no opportunity to seek independent counsel or negotiate any terms. Fearing for my life and for my children's lives, I signed the agreement under extreme duress."
With the appeal now denied, the lawsuit will return to the lower court, where the case will continue and Tompkins will have the opportunity to present her full defense.
In other news, 50 Cent recently celebrated the success of Sean Combs: The Reckoning, which received three Emmy nominations this week. The rapper served as an executive producer on the Netflix documentary series about his longtime hip hop rival, which premiered in December.
"Everybody had something to say when I announced it... Now the Emmys got something to say too," he wrote on Instagram. "Emmy nominations for Sean Combs: The Reckoning. You can't argue with the work."
The documentary has been nominated for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series, Outstanding Directing for a Documentary or Nonfiction Programme, and Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Programme.
