50 Cent Slander Suit Survives Motion to Dismiss

From the Conn. Law Tribune: After a fire destroyed Shaniqua Tompkins's house, she allegedly said that the plaintiff had threatened her and informed the media, “Who do I think did it? Curtis Jackson.” The Plaintiff, Curtis Jackson, also known as rap musician “Fifty Cent,” sued Tomkins alleging false light invasion of privacy and slander per se. The Defendant Tompkins moved to dismiss the case. The court found that C.G.S. §59-59b(a)(2) bars long-arm jurisdiction for defamation such as slander per se, and granted the motion to dismiss that count. The long-arm statute provides for jurisdiction with respect to false light invasion of privacy, so that count survived. The Defendant, a resident of New York, had enough contacts with the State of Connecticut, where the Plaintiff resides, that she could expect to be summoned into court in here. The court also denied the Defendant’s motion to dismiss for improper venue.