Another day, another lawsuit for 50 Cent. According to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, the Get Rich or Die Tryin’ legend has hired high-profile attorney Benjamin Crump in his battle with beverage company Beam Suntory.
50 Cent’s company Sire Spirits, G-Unit Records, Sire Champagnes, Sire Brown, Curtis Jackson (50 Cent), Stephen J. Sava and G-Unit Brands are all listed as plaintiffs. Beam Suntory, Inc., Jim Beam Brands Co., Julious Grant, Michael Caruso, Gina Caruso, MCF Consulting Inc., G2J Brand, Brand House Group LLC, Q Branch Consulting LLC and 4 G’s Ventures Inc. are named as defendants.
Crump applied for the gig on May 31 and the paperwork was signed on July 3, just before Fourth of July weekend.
50 Cent’s war with Beam Suntory escalated in March, after he discovered its alleged role in an embezzlement scheme that cost him millions of dollars and nearly ended his Sire Spirits company. In an Instagram post, 50 Cent vowed to make Beam Suntory “pay for what they did.” He continued, “These big companies think they can get away with anything. It has cost me millions in legal fees. They are gonna find out I’m not the one you want to play with.”
The G-Unit founder filed a complaint with the New York State Supreme Court. In the filing, he accused Beam Suntory of being complicit in a kickback scheme. 50 Cent claims the brand overcharged Sire Spirits for the liquor they supplied and split the difference – estimated to be in excess of $6 million – with the defendants.
Sire Spirits attorney Craig W##### told the outlet, “Beam Suntory’s role here is extraordinarily troubling.” He claimed the brand’s Chief Commercial Officer Julious Grant “facilitated the entire fraud.”
Mitchell Green, embattled former director of Brand Management for 50 Cent’s Sire Spirits previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud for his role in the alleged scheme. Green embezzled over $2 million from his employers and was ordered to pay more than $6 million in damages. Fiddy warned Beam Suntory were next.
In a follow-up post, 50 Cent shared the report from Fox5 News detailing the complaint. “I’m not the guy you want to get started. In nicest way I’m gonna need my money by Monday,” he captioned the post.
50 Cent returned a short time later to post an alleged letter from Beam Suntory boasting of their “longstanding relationship” with 50 Cent and Sire Spirits.
“This is the letter @beamsuntory sent without my knowledge to the people involved in the scheme that cost me millions,” he wrote. “This will make a great unscripted project.”
And evidently, he’s making good on his word.
