The $71M Victory That Got Snatched Back
T.I. and Tameka “Tiny” Harris just hit a major legal speed bump in their fight to protect the OMG Girlz brand. Although they originally secured a huge $71 million verdict in a lawsuit against toy giant MGA Entertainment, a federal judge just tossed out most of it.
Back in 2024, the couple sued MGA for allegedly jacking the name, image, and likeness of their girl group—OMG Girlz—to create the L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. (Outrageous Millennial Girls) doll line. The group was co-founded by T.I. and Tiny and featured Zonnique “Star” Pullins, Bahja “Beauty” Rodriguez, and Breaunna “Babydoll” Womack.
In September 2024, a jury rocked the courtroom by awarding them $17.9 million in actual damages and $53.6 million in punitive damages, totaling over $71 million.
But now? That celebration got put on pause.
Judge Slashes the Bag—But Says the Fight Ain’t Over
According to a new ruling filed July 9, 2025, U.S. District Judge James V. Selna decided that while the $17.9 million in actual damages can stay, MGA shouldn’t have to pay the full $53.6 million in punitive damages. He ruled that there wasn’t strong enough evidence showing MGA acted with deliberate intent to copy the OMG Girlz.
He even said the most MGA should pay in punitive damages is just $1. Yes, you read that right—one dollar.
“There was no reliable evidence that MGA had any knowledge of the group’s trade dress or desire to use their likeness to create the infringing dolls,” the judge stated in his 33-page decision, as reported by Rolling Stone. “The strong appearance that MGA copied other celebrities does not provide clear and convincing evidence that such was the case for the OMG Girlz.”
So what now? T.I. and Tiny have two weeks to make a move: accept the $17.9M plus $1 or take this whole thing to trial again.
Tiny and T.I. React to the New Verdict
Even though they’re not walking away with the full $71M anymore, both Tiny and Tip made it clear—they’re proud they stood their ground.
Tiny didn’t hold back, saying:
“At the end of the day, the evidence showed [MGA] stole from us. They stole from our creation. I’m glad we stuck with it. No one could tell me they did not steal from us.”
T.I. followed with a powerful statement of his own:
“I think justice was served. I think it’s a testament to the relentlessness 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.”
This ruling may have knocked some zeroes off the check, but the impact of their win for Black creatives can’t be ignored.
What This Means for Black Creators in the Industry
This moment is bigger than the payout. T.I. and Tiny’s legal journey has sparked important convos about how often Black culture gets stolen, flipped, and commercialized by billion-dollar brands—with no credit or compensation.
Their courage in going to war in a courtroom over intellectual property is a bold blueprint for how to stand ten toes down when major companies try to water down or wipe out Black contributions.
Whether they choose the new trial or not, the case already sent a strong message: don’t play with our image, our names, or our history.