T.I. and Tiny’s ‘OMG Girlz’ Trial Begins, Claim Popular Dolls Stole Group’s Image
Clifford “T.I.” Harris and Tameka “Tiny” Harris have filed a lawsuit against MGA Entertainment, claiming the company copied the likeness of their group OMG Girlz for the line of “L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G” dolls. Rolling Stone‘s Nancy Dillon reported the couple is seeking “economic justice” in their lawsuit against the company.
According to the report, the lawyer representing MGA asserts the husband and wife have no claim to MGA profits, calling the lawsuit a “shakedown” based on “fabricated claims.”
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“(They) want tens of millions of dollars from MGA Entertainment for doing absolutely nothing, and I do mean nothing. We’re going to show you that the OMG Girlz actually copied us, and now complain we look like them,” said their lawyer Jennifer Keller. “They were trend followers, not trendsetters.”
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T.I. and Tiny’s lawyer David C. Scheper presented images of the O.M.G. dolls in outfits similar to those worn by the OMG Girlz group during the trial. He also claimed an email on MGA servers from December 2019 proved the company was not only aware of the OMG Girlz, but understood consumers had confused their dolls with the group.
“What your eyes are showing you is that there was copying, there was inspiration, there was actual confusion, there was evidence of confusion in MGA’s ranks,” Scheper explained.
OMG Girlz was formed in 2009 and included T.I. and Tiny’s daughter Zonnique Pullins, Lil Wayne’s daughter Reginae Carter, and sisters Bahja “Beauty” and Lourdes “Lolo” Rodriguez. The group eventually evolved into a trio when Carter exited in 2010.
Pullins has testified in the trial as the first witness, standing on the uniqueness of the OMG Girlz style as MGA attributed vibrant looks and colorful hair to the likes of Rihanna, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Kim, underscoring the alleged cultural impact of the Atlanta-based pop group.
“Didn’t lots of teenage girls, when you were a teenager, wear fun clothes?” asked Keller.
“How fun are you talking? OMG fun, or regular fun?” the now 26-year-old responded. “OMG fun is random, it’s colorful. A lot of girls don’t just put on three shirts and tutus and walk outside to go to the grocery store. I don’t believe that, no.”
Keller also alluded to using allegations of sexual assault and abuse against T.I. and Tiny as proof the company would not have associated its brand of dolls with the Harris family.
“It is not a family most people would want their children to emulate. And you’re going to see why that is in evidence produced throughout this trial,” shared Keller.
The trial is expected to last three weeks.
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