In a significant legal win for T.I., Tiny Harris, and the OMG Girlz, a federal judge in Santa Ana, California, on Feb. 4 upheld a $71.5 million award in their copyright infringement lawsuit against MGA Entertainment, the company behind the popular O.M.G. Dolls. The lawsuit accused MGA of using the likeness of the OMG Girlz — the girl group formed by Tiny Harris’s daughter Zonnique Pullins, along with Bahja “Beauty” Rodriguez and Breaunna “Babydoll” Womack — without permission, leading to claims of cultural appropriation and outright trademark theft.
A Big Win for Tiny and T.I.
The initial verdict in September 2024 saw the jury award $53.6 million in punitive damages and $17.9 million in actual damages, bringing the total to $71.5 million.
The case hit a snag when U.S. District Court Judge James V. Selna raised concerns over the lack of evidence for bad faith on MGA’s part, which could reduce the punitive damages. Now, after more review, the judge reversed his position and reaffirmed the jury’s decision, stating in the filing, “Upon consideration of the evidence, the Court grants disgorgement of profits of $17,872,252 under common law misappropriation, and affirms the jury’s award of punitive damages of $53,616,759,” according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
The lawsuit focused on allegations that MGA’s O.M.G. Dolls, launched in 2019, too closely resembled the OMG Girlz, who were popular in the early 2010s. T.I. and Tiny, along with their legal team, argued that MGA’s dolls copied the group’s distinct style and image.
While the legal battle is now over, with the judge affirming the full payout, the entertainment power couple has yet to publicly comment on the final ruling.
Prior, T.I. and Tiny have expressed their gratitude to the jury for supporting their case.
“We wanted to thank the jurors for just seeing us through this and believing in what we said. They heard our story and knew we weren’t lying. It’s amazing,” said Tiny at the time.
T.I. noted, “It’s a testament to the relentless 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.”
It remains to be seen whether MGA Entertainment will challenge the ruling with an appeal.
