T.I. and Tiny keep $18 million after loss in fourth OMG Girlz lawsuit

The lawsuit between rapper T.I., his wife Tameka "Tiny" Harris, and toy giant MGA Entertainment has taken a new turn against the couple. A federal jury decided on Wednesday, July 1, that MGA did not act with malicious intent, meaning the pair will not receive any additional punitive damages. The total compensation therefore remains at the $17.9 million in compensatory damages that an earlier jury awarded nearly two years ago.

The origins of the lawsuit go back to 2020, when T.I. and Tiny first filed a complaint against MGA, the company behind popular brands like Bratz and Little Tikes. The couple claims that MGA based seven dolls from the bestselling L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. line on their girl group OMG Girlz, including the name, the neon colored hair, and the group's signature outfits. The OMG Girlz were founded in 2009 by the Harrises and consist of Zonnique "Star" Pullins, Tiny's daughter, along with Bahja "Beauty" Rodriguez and Breaunna "Babydoll" Womack.

The legal battle has had a turbulent history. The first trial, which began in January 2023, ended in a mistrial after jurors heard testimony about "cultural appropriation" that had not been officially permitted. A second trial, held a few months later, cleared MGA of all wrongdoing, but that verdict was overturned following a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that gave greater weight to evidence of consumer confusion. In the third trial, in September 2024, jurors did find that MGA had intentionally copied the name, look, and identity of the OMG Girlz for seven specific dolls. That jury awarded total damages of $71.5 million, including $53.6 million in punitive damages. That punitive portion was later thrown out by Judge James V. Selna, who ruled that the evidence supporting it was insufficient.

This fourth trial centered solely on whether the punitive damages could be reinstated. T.I. and Tiny argued that MGA had acted deliberately and maliciously in copying the OMG Girlz. The jury was not convinced. MGA founder Isaac Larian, a billionaire, had previously stated that the couple and the three members of the OMG Girlz played no role whatsoever in the design of his dolls, and he publicly called them "extortionists."

T.I. and Tiny's attorneys, led by John Keville, Chante Westmoreland, and Robert Green, said in a statement that they were disappointed. "We proved malice once and believe that had this jury had the benefit of the three weeks of evidence the last jury saw, they too would have found punitives appropriate," the legal team said. The attorneys announced they would continue fighting for their clients' rights and for the rights of all creative artists. MGA did not immediately comment following the verdict. The couple will ultimately walk away with $17.9 million from a legal battle that has now spanned six years and four separate trials.