Lawyer for woman suing 50 Cent calls bankruptcy claim 'laughable'
Jackson explained in court that while his social-media accounts may be filled with flashy photos, "I take the jewelry and the cars back to the stores."
While Forbes estimated the rapper's fortune to be about $155 million in May, Jackson's lawyer said in court Tuesday that his client's worth is $4.4 million, which presents a problem after he was recently hit with a $5 million verdict for publishing a sex tape starring rival Rick Ross' ex-girlfriend, Lastonia Leviston, without her consent."It's almost laughable for Mr. Jackson to think anyone believes he's broke and that everything is smoke and mirrors," Leviston's attorney, Hunter Shkolnik told The Wrap Tuesday. "His business entities show otherwise."
During his testimony, the rapper also claimed he only made "10 cents a record" from his 38 million album sales, and just $100,000 for the two movies he's currently in, "Spy" and "Southpaw." For his hit Straz series "Power," on which he is also an executive producer, Jackson said he's pocketed only $150,000 from each of its first two seasons.
"I need protection," 50 Cent explained while appearing on TBS' "Conan." "You get a bull's-eye painted on your back when you're successful, and it's public. You become the ideal person for lawsuits."
Despite the filing, Jackson did admit that he recently threw cash around at a Florida strip club and bought a Rolls Royce on July 4, but added "I took two others back" to buy it, according to New York Daily News.
Jackson did manage to say a minor apology to Lastonia Leviston on Tuesday in court: "I'm sorry if you feel like I hurt you."