Was 50 Cent Present During Yayo Incident? Question Is At Heart Of Lawyers' War O

[Damien J.]

The question of whether 50 Cent was present during Tony Yayo's alleged assault of a 14-year-old boy last week is at the center of a verbal battle in the media between 50's attorney, Benjamin Brafman, and Jeffrey Lichtman, who represents Game manager Jimmy "Henchman" Rosemond.

Rosemond is the father of the child who was allegedly attacked by Yayo on March 20.

Brafman said his client wasn't even within the borders of New York State at the time of the incident, which contradicts a statement issued by the alleged victim's mother, Cynthia Reed, on Saturday. "It's a shame," reads the statement, "that 50 Cent and Tony Yayo could feel comfortable slapping and physically attacking an innocent 14-year-old minor that they market and promote their records to. This [incident] should be looked [upon] as a step away from child molestation."

On Monday, Lichtman told the New York Post, "[50 Cent] was the one that gave the hand signal that started the whole thing. He wasn't there during the hitting, but [he] ... started it."

On Tuesday (March 27), Brafman said he would seek a full retraction and apology for the statement, and told MTV News that, should no retraction be forthcoming, he'll consider filing a defamation claim against Lichtman for statements he made to the press — specifically the insinuation that 50 was at the scene at the time of the alleged attack. His client, Brafman said, is "considering all of [his] options," and added that the rapper "wasn't in the state at the time" of the attack, and that he has "incontrovertible proof of that fact."

Lichtman said he's reiterating what the victim told him and the police investigating the matter, and told MTV News that if he's sued, "there will be a countersuit against Brafman" for defamatory comments he claims the lawyer made to the media about him "in [my] professional capacity."

"All I know is what the younger Rosemond told the police, and what he saw," Lichtman continued. "I wasn't there, so it's hard for me to say. All I ever really did was report what the kid told me and told the police and told his mother and told his father. Do I have any firsthand knowledge of any of it? I suppose I don't.

"But my feeling is, the one person who identified himself was Yayo, and the reason we know that it was Yayo is [Rosemond's son claims] he said, 'I'm mother----ing Tony Yayo' before he started slapping [the boy] around. He was up close and in his face, too," he continued. "The kid claims he saw 50 in an adjacent SUV. [That] identification is not as easy as it would have been with a guy who identifies himself and starts slapping the kid around."

Brafman claims his client was at his Connecticut home at the time of the assault. Lichtman said the victim told police that, "prior to being attacked by Yayo and his three henchmen — two of whom had guns — he thought he saw 50 in an SUV giving a signal" to attack.

Lichtman said, "All I can confirm is what the kid told the police."

This report is provided by MTV News (MTV.com)
 
 

[Digital Pimpin']

'I'm mother----ing Tony Yayo'

LMFAO.

It's still wrong what he did, but that made me LOL.

[Samoan Enforcer]

oh man curtis is gonna have to tell on his #1 foot soldier. this will be pathetic

[Chief]

'I'm mother----ing Tony Yayo'

LMFAO.

It's still wrong what he did, but that made me LOL.

no shit!

and they should have known 50 wouldnt be in NY!

[The-Leak (aka) kingwell (bka) JULES]

'I'm mother----ing Tony Yayo'

LMFAO.

It's still wrong what he did, but that made me LOL.

LOL, Yayo is dumb as the brick he dropped.

[proverbs aka DD]

What's really funny is..

Yayo be saying in interviews "50 got this for me" "50 got that for me" "i dont gotta worry about rap albums b/c 50 does for me"

Now you're about to be public and criminially humilated and 50 aint got nothing to do with you.

[ToOoOoN!!!]

yayo is a dumb fuck

[GangstaBoogy]

'I'm mother----ing Tony Yayo'

LMFAO.

It's still wrong what he did, but that made me LOL.

LOL, Yayo is dumb as the brick he dropped.

"The King" should be in this thread in a few seconds to call you an idiot and tell you how great that album was. Remember, Yayo is a musical genius.

[J$crILLa]

tony yayo is a fuck up like mufucka

[Cheese]

every time i think Yayo cant get any dumber, he does  Now what full grown man is stupid enough to beat up a 14 year old kid?

[Digital Pimpin']

Now what full grown man is stupid enough to beat up a 14 year old kid?

And holla out his name while he does it? 50 can't save you now.