The battle between 50 Cent and ex-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins mother of the couple's 11 year-old son, Marquise, whose house burned down in a suspicious fire earlier this month heated up on Thursday when Tompkins took out a temporary restraining order against the rapper. The legal order, which requires 50 to forfeit all firearms and stay at "curbside" when picking up and dropping off Marquise, also bans 50 (born Curtis Jackson) from being on any property where Tompkins is, according to her lawyer, Paul Catsandonis.

"Threats have been made against my client and she needs to take the proper safeguards to protect herself and her family," Catsandonis told MTV News. While the lawyer said the threats came from "Mr. Jackson," he would not go into specifics.

One reason he declined to elaborate on the alleged threats was because 50 has filed a defamation lawsuit against Tompkins, who has accused him of being involved in the fire last month, which burned down the $4 million New York home owned by the rapper that she was living in with their son. The fire, which officials called "highly suspicious," sent Tompkins and the child to the hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation.

Following the fire, TMZ.com aired footage of Tompkins stating that 50 was "obsessed" with her and that he'd recently threatened her life. "If he can't have me, no one can," Tompkins said. "He said that he was going to have someone come kill me, and see what he does. This is what he did." An attorney for 50, Brett Kimmel who could not be reached for comment at press time said at the time of the fire that, "any suggestion that [50] had anything whatsoever to do with the fire at his home is outrageous and offensive." 50 had tried to evict Tompkins from the property last month unless she began paying rent, Kimmel said, and the couple had been fighting in court over the property for several months.

Explaining the defamation suit, which was to be filed on Friday in New York, Kimmel reportedly told New York's Daily News, "there comes a point where you can no longer sit on your hands and listen to her spread these falsehoods. Besides hurting his reputation, they have a damaging impact on their son."

Catsandonis confirmed that he'd been served with the defamation papers, which he said alleged that his client was engaging in a "character assassination" of the rapper as a result of her comments following the fire. "They're seeking $20 million in the defamation suit and also seeking enforcement of the visitation order from family court," he said. As for the restraining order, it is temporary now, but Catsandonis, who called the defamation suit "baseless and retaliatory in nature," said he will argue in court next month for a permanent order.

In responding to the defamation suit, Catsandonis said he is also considering filing a countersuit claiming defamation against his client.