April 10, 2008

50 Cent, Tony Yayo Named In Assault-And-Battery Suit Involving Jimmy Rosemond's Son

By Jayson Rodriguez (MTV.com)

The mother of Jimmy Rosemond's son, who was allegedly assaulted by Tony Yayo last year, filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit Wednesday (April 9) against the G-Unit rapper.

Cynthia Reed filed a civil suit that also targets 50 Cent, G-Unit Records and Interscope Records. Richard Reich, a legal representative for Rosemond and Reed, would not disclose to MTV News the amount they are seeking in the lawsuit.

The legal action by Reed comes on the heels of Tony Yayo's February plea deal in the criminal case.

The rapper was originally charged with misdemeanor assault, harassment and endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly roughing up Rosemond and Reed's then-14-year-old son, James Rosemond. 50 Cent was reportedly out of town at the time of the incident and has never been formally charged.

Yayo was accused of attacking the younger Rosemond, now 15, for wearing a T-shirt bearing the name of his father's company, Czar Entertainment. G-Unit foe the Game is represented by Rosemond and Czar Entertainment.

The criminal charges against Yayo were dropped in February and the rapper pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of noncriminal harassment, which led to 10 days of community service.

Still, Reich said his clients believe their case will stand with merit despite the result of the criminal case.

"Mr. Yayo pleaded guilty to violating New York penal law, and in the course of that [criminal] case, [made] that admission that he harassed my client and did so in a manner meant to threaten him, and agreed to perform community service for violating those laws," Reich told MTV News. "So I believe our case concerning civil assault and battery is strong against [him] and others."

As of press time, a preliminary hearing for the parties named in the lawsuit had not been set.