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TI and Tiny Harris were prosecuted for defamation, among other allegations, by the first woman who accused them of assault. Sabrina Peterson, an Atlanta businesswoman, filed a lawsuit against TI, born Clifford Harris, and Tiny, born Tameka Harris, on March 1 at the Los Angeles County Superior Court. The request includes two complaints of defamation, invasion of privacy, two complaints of interference with the potential for economic advantage and two complaints of the imposition of emotional suffering, for unspecified damages, according to a copy obtained by Vulture. In January, Peterson said on Instagram that TI once kept her at gunpoint. A lawyer for TI and Tiny denied Vulture’s defamation charges after a representative of the couple previously denied Peterson’s allegations when they were first made. “Em. Peterson is the definition of ‘slander proof’,” said Andrew Bettler, the couple’s lawyer. “She has a long criminal record for crimes involving dishonesty and violence. Nothing our clients may have said about her is defamatory. Ultimately, not only will Peterson’s meritless case be dismissed, but she will also be responsible for paying the legal fees that the Harris will be forced to incur in connection with that. ”
Days after Peterson’s initial claim, made on January 26, she received and posted dozens of sexual assault, abuse and drug charges against TI and his wife Tiny on Instagram. MTV halted production of the TI and Tiny reality series Agitation of friends and family in response. Peterson’s lawsuit comes after 11 new victims have accused TI and Tiny of sexual assault, abuse and drugs, among other allegations. TI and Tiny denied these allegations through another lawyer; Peterson’s case refers to TI and Tiny’s denials of their initial allegations.
After Peterson started publicizing claims against TI, Tiny posted a photo of TI with Peterson’s 8-year-old son on Instagram on January 26. “He was just an uncle two years ago … now when you said my husband attacked you?” Tiny wrote in the caption. She continued, “You are a stranger. Everyone knows that you are special. ”Along with the couple’s statement, TI further denied the initial charges against him in an eight-minute Instagram video on January 29th. Peterson claims in the process that she “was inundated with messages of instigation and threats on Instagram” from IT and Tiny followers after their denials; she also claims that the statements made by TI and Tiny affected their business, as well as being allegedly false.
In addition, Peterson’s lawsuit is also against TI and Tiny’s friend Shekinah Jones Anderson, also known as Shekinah Jo, who appeared on the couple’s reality TV show on MTV TI and Tiny: The Family Hustle together with Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta. Anderson defended TI and Tiny against Peterson’s initial allegations on an Instagram Live on January 29 and claimed that Peterson was sexually involved with TI and Tiny. “She’s not talking about how she fucked Tameka either,” said Anderson. “I said what I said. Why isn’t she talking about she sucked your dick and fucked her in her cunt? “Peterson’s lawsuit claims that Anderson’s statements are also false, noting that Anderson withdrew his statements on a subsequent Instagram Live. When contacted by Vulture for comment, an Anderson representative said she was unaware of the request.
Peterson’s lawyers – New York-based law firm Ivie McNeill Wyatt Purcell & Diggs, TA Blackburn Law – issued a statement about the lawsuit. “The choice of a person’s words, especially words of public figures with millions of followers on social media, causes and has caused internal scars for Ms. Peterson,” the lawyers told Vulture. “These lewd words may not have caused any physical damage, but they have destroyed Mrs. Peterson’s soul and reputation and have caused irreparable damage to her business and her brand. TI, Tiny and even Mrs. Jones can’t get the bell off. “