New York, July 11 (IANS) Rapper 50 Cent has been ordered to pay $5 million to a woman in Florida named Lastonia Leviston, who said he humiliated her by posting a sex tape of her online.
50 Cent lost his sex tape battle in the court on Friday.
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, reports aceshowbiz.com.
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 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 here at the time and was celebrating his 40th birthday.
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 disrespecting his rival rapper Rick Ross, who has a daughter with Leviston.
Cent had edited the video which showed Leviston and her former boyfriend Maurice Murray. He superimposed his own character “Pimpin’ Curly” in the video and an expletive-filled narration.