T.I. and his wife Tameka “Tiny” Harris achieved a remarkable victory on Monday, receiving a jury verdict of $71 million in their lawsuit against toy manufacturer MGA. The couple claimed that MGA appropriated the design of their “O.M.G.” toy dolls from their former teen pop group, the OMG Girlz.
The award from jurors came after a finding that MGA’s dolls violated both the trade dress and likeness rights of the OMG Girlz, a musical group formed by Tiny that included her daughter, Zonnique “Star” Pullins.
After a three-week trial and a full day of deliberations, the jury granted the couple $17.9 million in actual damages along with $53.6 million in punitive damages. MGA has yet to respond publicly to the verdict.
In a statement, T.I. and Tiny’s lead attorney, John Keville, praised the jury for their decision, stating that MGA was held accountable. He commended the couple for standing up for their children and battling against a large corporation with determination and dignity.
The legal dispute started in 2021 when T.I. (Clifford Harris) and Tiny accused MGA of both cultural appropriation and stealing their intellectual property by mimicking the appearance of young multicultural women.
The couple provided side-by-side photographs to illustrate the similarities between the OMG dolls and the individual members of the OMG Girlz: Pullins, Bahja “Beauty” Rodriguez, and Breaunna “Babydoll” Womack.
MGA has contended that their dolls are primarily branded as L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. and that consumers would not confuse them with the now-defunct band.
The case underwent three years of litigation and faced two prior trials. The first trial in January 2023 resulted in a mistrial due to jurors hearing inadmissible testimony regarding accusations of racism against MGA. In the second trial, the jury ruled in favor of MGA. However, that verdict was later overturned on appeal, leading to the third trial, which concluded in favor of T.I. and Tiny.
Following the verdict, Tiny expressed her gratitude in an Instagram livestream, emphasizing the long struggle they endured and their happiness with the outcome. She thanked the jurors for believing in their story.
The OMG Girlz members also issued a statement celebrating the verdict, expressing hope that this case would deter companies from taking artists’ intellectual property without permission.
MGA has the option to appeal the verdict and damages, either by requesting the judge to annul them or by taking the case to a federal appeals court.