50 Cent Sex Tape Trial: Lastonia Leviston Claims Leaked Sex Tape Almost Drove Her To Suicide

by Olivia Truffaut-WongJune 17, 2015, 7:47 pmNews, News Feed >

50 Cent is finally being taken to court by Rick Ross’ ex Lastonia Leviston for allegedly leaking a sex tape and destroying her reputation.

Lastonia Leviston Sues 50 Cent

In 2009, 50 posted a video on his personal website, Fifty.com, of an edited and manipulated version of Leviston’s sex tape, complete with demeaning and graphic narration by the rapper himself. Six years later, Leviston is suing the rapper for violating her civil rights and causing her emotional distress by releasing the video.

50 Cent, born Curtis Jackson, does not deny sharing the video on his website, but a lawyer for the rapper, James Renard, said in court on Monday that someone hacked into 50’s computer and posted the video before the rapper had the opportunity to leak it, saying, “The bottom line is, Mr. Jackson is not the one who first published it.”

Leviston, 36, shares a child with 50’s rap rival Rick Ross, and Leviston’s lawyer, Philip Friedin, is arguing that 50 leaked the tape as a way to humiliate Ross and draw attention to his website. When the rapper posted the video online, it quickly went viral, causing a surge of traffic on his website. Friedin told jurors the tape boosted traffic by 60%.

Leviston, who was present during the trial on Monday, cried as her lawyer told jurors that she was driven to the point of suicide after the release of the tape, in which 50 allegedly criticized her body and called her a “slut.”

50 claims that Leviston’s ex, Maurice Murray, who appears in the video with Levitson, approached him with the sex tape and led him to believe that he had Levitson’s blessing to release the tape. “In relying on Murray’s representation that he consented and his long-term girlfriend consented, Jackson formed a reasonable belief that he could use that video. He is not a lawyer,” said Renard.

Furthermore, the rapper is claiming that Leviston is only suing him for money, attacking her professional background in court. “[Leviston] has never held down a full-time job for any appreciable time,” 50’s lawyer said. “Her life is better because she filed this lawsuit against Rick Ross’ rival,” he added.

While Leviston and 50 Cent battle it out in a New York courtroom, 50 has filed a separate lawsuit against Ross, claiming he is the one who leaked Leviston’s sex tape and should pay Leviston damages should 50 lose the lawsuit.

Ross responded with this statement:

“The recent lawsuit filed by Curtis Jackson against Mr. William Roberts is clearly another attempt to draw attention to his descending entertainment career and one of several desperate, last minute attempts he’s made to avoid and deflect legal and financial responsibility for his own actions related to the pending New York City civil trial in which he’s a defendant.

The New York City lawsuit was filed against Curtis Jackson five years ago. Mr. Roberts was neither named as a defendant nor legally joined by Mr. Jackson in that suit. If and/or when Mr. Jackson properly serves Mr. Roberts, we will aggressively address and defend against these frivolous and futile claims.”

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Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.