50 CENT - 50 CENT DEFENDS LIMITED CUSTODY REQUESTS

50 CENT DEFENDS LIMITED CUSTODY REQUESTS

Rapper 50 CENT has defended his child custody requests, insisting he only wants visitation ever other weekend because he wants minimum disruption to his son's education.
The In Da Club hitmaker has been embroiled in a legal battle with his ex-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins over custody of 11-year-old Marquise for months, and now the former couple's legal spat will go before a judge on Monday (08Sep08).
50 Cent - real name Curtis Jackson - was reunited with Marquise last month (Aug08) after he accused Tompkins of "kidnapping" their son following a devastating fire at her New York home in May (08).
The star, who lives in Connecticut, has since been criticised for his request to spend just two weekends a month with Marquise - but the rapper insists he's simply taking his kid's schooling seriously.
50 Cent's lawyer Brett Kimmel claims his client is also seeking access during school holidays and a month in the summer.
Kimmel tells website TMZ.com the custody request "maximises the time the child can spend with his father while remaining sensitive to the child's own schedule".
The rapper recently spent 10 days with his son at his sprawling Connecticut mansion before heading overseas to shoot a new movie. The move came after 50 Cent and Tompkins reached a temporary custody agreement. The former couple's ongoing legal spat will be brought before a judge on Monday (08Sep08) in a bid to permanently resolve their differences.