The rapper-turned-television exec is asking a Los Angeles judge to enforce a settlement he says Ryan Kavanaugh agreed to but later tried to rewrite.
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is dragging film producer/entrepreneur Ryan Kavanaugh back to court in Los Angeles over what he says is a blatant breach of a settlement agreement tied to their dispute over the film Skill House.
According to a motion filed by Jackson and his company NYC Vibe LLC, the rapper-turned-mogul claims Kavanaugh, along with Skill House Movie LLC and GenTV LLC, agreed to a nine-point settlement earlier this year but later tried to change the terms. The motion asks the court to enforce the original agreement, which 50 Cent’s legal team says was accepted in writing and should be binding.
“Here it [the proposed settlement agreement] is,” 50 Cent’s counsel wrote. “Kindly say yes or no. Mr. Jackson will unfortunately and adamantly not accept any further negotiation.” Kavanaugh’s team responded the same day with an unequivocal “yes,” according to the filing.
The dispute centers on a series of email exchanges that 50 Cent’s attorneys argue formed a complete and enforceable contract. “Thats fine. Thank you for getting this done,” 50’s lawyer replied after the agreement was accepted.
But things unraveled quickly. Despite agreeing to finalize the deal “immediately,” Kavanaugh’s side allegedly delayed for weeks, then returned with redlined versions of the agreement that altered key terms. Plaintiffs say those last-minute changes amounted to a “material breach” and forced them to seek a preliminary injunction in June ahead of the film’s release.
The motion, which will be heard on Thursday (August 28) in Los Angeles Superior Court, argues that courts routinely uphold settlement agreements even if a formal contract hasn’t been signed, so long as both parties agreed to the essential terms.
“The law is clear that settlement agreements are favored and enforceable where, as here, the parties have agreed to all material terms and objectively manifested their intent to be bound,” the motion states.
50 Cent’s team says they stopped pursuing other legal actions based on the belief the deal was done. But when Kavanaugh’s camp allegedly tried to walk back the terms, they had no choice but to return to court.
The hearing is scheduled for Thursday (August 28) at 10 a.m. PT before Judge Hernán D. Vera at the First Street Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.
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