Current:Home > MarketsT.I. and Tameka "Tiny" Harris Win $71 Million in Lawsuit Against Toy Company -Capital Dream Guides
T.I. and Tameka "Tiny" Harris Win $71 Million in Lawsuit Against Toy Company
View
Date:2025-04-17 10:33:35
T.I. and Tameka "Tiny" Harris are celebrating a victory.
The "Live Your Life" rapper and his wife of 14 years were awarded $71 million on Sept. 23 after winning their third court trial against toy giant MGA Entertainment, which was accused of violating the intellectual property rights of the couple's music group the OMG Girlz with their L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls.
"We were proud to represent the OMG Girlz, Tiny, and T.I.," their lawyer told E! News in a Sept. 24 statement, "who had the courage to stand up for themselves and fight a billion-dollar corporation's intimidation and insults with grace, perseverance, and a determination to protect their intellectual property and the rights of other creatives."
The statement added that thanks to T.I. and Tiny's determination, "a remarkable jury did the fair, just and right thing by holding MGA Entertainment fully accountable for trade dress infringement and for misappropriation of name, likeness, and identity."
E! News has reached out to MGA's lawyer for comment but hasn't heard back.
Jurors awarded T.I., 43, and Tiny, 49, (real names Clifford Joseph Harris and Tameka Dianne Cottle-Harris) $17.9 million in real damages and $53.6 million in punitive damages following the three-week trial in Santa Ana, Calif.
In their verdict, jurors said that 13 L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls had "infringed on the trade dress and misappropriated the name, image, and likeness" of T.I. and Tiny's OMG Girlz band, according to Rolling Stone. They also found that a 14th doll violated the group's trade dress, while a 15th misappropriated the band's name, image and likeness.
T.I. and Tiny had started OMG Girlz in 2009, with the girl group consisting of Zonnique "Star" Pullins (Tiny's daughter), Bahja "Beauty" Rodriguez and Breaunna "Babydoll" Womack.
During the trial, T.I. and Tiny—who are also parents to children Clifford, 18, Major, 16, and Heiress, 8—alleged that seven of MGA's dolls copied the OMG Girlz looks at "very specific public events or in publicized photos," per Rolling Stone. MGA's founder Isaac Larian had testified during the court proceedings that the group played no role in the look of the dolls, calling them "extortionists."
Following the verdict, Tiny and T.I. were elated over the jury's decision.
"I mean, wow. They did more than I thought they would," Tiny told Rolling Stone. "I would have been happy with whatever. They blessed us more than beyond. We wanted to thank the jurors so bad, but we didn't get the opportunity."
T.I. added, "I think justice was served. I think it's a testament to the relentlessness and resilience of my wife, daughter and nieces. We're just happy we were able to come out on top and fight for creatives and our intellectual property that large corporations seem to think is just public domain and free for all to come and grab and use."
Tiny also shared her excitement on Instagram, writing Sept. 23, "Man we may look crazy cause we been crying tears of joy!! We are so Grateful God. Thank you so much to the jurors first & foremost! We wanted to thank you in person but u guys were gone. To our amazing dream team u guys killed it!! We owe u everything!"
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (97193)
Related
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- Why Black students are still disciplined at higher rates: Takeaways from AP’s report
- AP Week in Pictures
- Jaguar tells owners of older I-Pace electric SUVs to park them outdoors due to battery fire risk
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Georgia puts Cornel West and Claudia De la Cruz back on the state’s presidential ballots
- 'A good, kind soul': Friends remember murdered Florida fraternity brother as execution nears
- Stand at attention, Halloween fans: Home Depot's viral 12-foot skeleton is now in stores
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Flash flood rampaged through idyllic canyon of azure waterfalls; search for hiker ends in heartbreak
Ranking
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- How Trump and Georgia’s Republican governor made peace, helped by allies anxious about the election
- Autopsy determines man killed in Wisconsin maximum-security prison was strangled
- Bold fantasy football predictions for 2024: Rashee Rice and other league-winning players
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Small plane makes emergency landing on highway, then is hit by a vehicle
- Bettors banking on Eagles resurgence, Cowboys regression as NFL season begins
- An upstate New York nonprofit is reclaiming a centuries-old cemetery for people who were enslaved
Recommendation
How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
Paris Paralympic opening ceremony: 5 things you didn’t see on NBC’s broadcast
Ukraine says one of its Western-donated F-16 warplanes has crashed
Boxes of french fries covered Los Angeles highway after crash, causing 6-hour long cleanup
Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
How Trump and Georgia’s Republican governor made peace, helped by allies anxious about the election
Week 1 college football predictions: Our expert picks for every Top 25 game
Love Is Blind UK Star Reveals 5 Couples Got Engaged Off-Camera