Rapper T.I. and his wife Tameka “Tiny” Harris were awarded $71 million in a lawsuit filed against MGA Entertainment, manufacturer of the popular L.O.L. Surprise! dolls.
The suit alleged that MGA’s line of “O.M.G.” dolls copied the likeness of T.I. and Tiny’s defunct girl group OMG Girlz that formed 15 years ago. The pair were awarded $17.8 million in real damages for the profits that the company made, as well as $53.6 million in punitive damages.
The trial, which lasted for three weeks in Orange County, was the third in T.I. and Tiny’s legal battle with MGA as previous attempts ended in mistrial and appeal. The case focused on seven “O.M.G.” dolls that were allegedly inspired by the group, which initially consisted of Tiny’s daughter Zonnique Jailee Pullins and Lil Wayne’s daughter Reginae Carter.
Pullins testified alongside fellow OMG Girlz members Bahja “Beauty” Rodriguez and Breaunna “Babydoll” Womack. On Instagram, shortly after the verdict was rendered, Pullins posted, “Thank you to our team, the jurors, and my parents for giving us a platform to fight for our brand! love you mommy @majorgirl when everybody was ready to quit you said HELL NAH! very much THAT GIRL.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone, T.I. said, “I think justice was served. I think it’s a testament to the relentless 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.”
Though the award to T.I. and Tiny was a victory in their legal battle, MGA can still appeal the verdict.
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