TI and his wife, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, are being sued for defamation by Sabrina Peterson, The Hollywood Reporter notes. Peterson claims she was molested and defamed after surfacing allegations of sexual abuse against the couple. Peterson is reportedly suing the Harrises for defamation, invasion of privacy, deliberately inflicting emotional distress, and more.
When Pitchfork reached him, a lawyer from TI and Tiny shared the following statement:
Ms. Peterson is the definition of “libel”. She has a long rap sheet for crimes involving dishonesty and violence. Nothing our customers have said about them is defamatory. Ultimately, Peterson’s unsubstantiated lawsuit will not only be dismissed, but she will also be responsible for paying legal fees incurred by the Harrises in connection with it.
Sabrina Peterson surfaced allegations against the couple in January. She also said at the time that TI once held a gun to his head and threatened to kill her. The Harrises denied their allegations and threatened legal action against them. “Mr. and Mrs. Harris would like to be on record and, most importantly, to let the public know that they strongly deny the outrageously appalling allegations Sabrina Peterson has made against them,” they said in a statement. “The Harrises have been around for more than one Decade of trouble with this woman. They take this matter very seriously and if these allegations don’t end they will take appropriate legal action.
After Peterson’s allegations, VH1 stopped producing the Harrises reality show TI & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle.
It was announced yesterday (February 28) that New York-based attorney Tyrone A. Blackburn is launching a criminal investigation into TI and Tiny on behalf of 11 people allegedly “harassed” by the Harrises or their entourage. Blackburn customers include people who claim to have been drugged, raped or sexually assaulted by the Harrises or their employees.
Steve Sadow, an attorney who represents TI and Tiny, said the Harrises “vehemently deny these baseless and unjustified allegations.”
If you or someone you know has been subjected to sexual assault or domestic violence, we encourage you to seek support:
RAINN National Hotline for Sexual Assault
http://www.rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Line of crisis text
http://www.facebook.com/crisistextline (chat support)
SMS: Text “HERE” to 741-741
The national hotline for domestic violence
http://thehotline.org
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
