Rapper T.I. and his wife, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, are seeking approximately $165,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs after successfully appealing a ruling by a Superior Court judge. The judge had allowed a woman to proceed with her entire lawsuit, alleging defamation and other claims against the hip hop couple.
In September 2021, Judge David Sotelo of Los Angeles Superior Court denied anti-SLAPP motions brought by the Harrises and hairstylist Shekina Jones Anderson in response to Sabrina Peterson’s lawsuit. The state’s anti-SLAPP law aims to protect individuals from using lawsuits and the threat of litigation to intimidate others exercising their First Amendment rights.
However, Peterson demonstrated a “probability of prevailing” in her claims of defamation per se, defamation trade libel, invasion of privacy, intentional and negligent interference with prospective economic advantage, and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
On June 2, a three-justice panel of the Second District Court of Appeal unanimously decided to strike Peterson’s claims of trade libel, intentional and negligent interference with prospective economic advantage, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Justice Audra Mori, who wrote the opinion, also ruled that the Harrises were entitled to attorney’s fees.
The Harrises’ lawyers have now filed court papers requesting $164,650 in attorneys’ fees and costs with Judge Anne Richardson, who replaced the retired Judge Sotelo. A hearing is scheduled for Sept. 26.
Peterson initiated the lawsuit in March 2021 after accusing 42-year-old T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, of holding a gun to her head in an Instagram post published two months prior. Peterson also shared statements from over 30 women who claimed they were drugged or coerced into sex by the Harrises.
The Harrises officially denied the gun accusation and addressed the allegations on Instagram. Tameka Harris, 48, posted a photo of Peterson’s 8-year-old son, urging her to stop harassing her family and seek help, while T.I. posted an eight-minute video denying the allegations.
Shekina Jones Anderson, who has appeared on the Harrises’ reality show “T.I. & Tiny” and other programs, is also implicated in the lawsuit. Anderson allegedly made a defamatory Instagram post in January 2021, claiming Peterson engaged in sexual acts with T.I. and Tiny.
Peterson alleges that she has been subjected to harassment since the Harrises and Anderson responded to her accusations. In a sworn declaration, she stated that she had relocated to California to expand her cannabis business and attract investors.
“The Harrises knew, or should have known, that their false and baseless attacks on my moral character would severely hinder my ability to attract investors,” Peterson asserted.
She further stated that she offered to dismiss her lawsuit if the Harrises apologized and admitted the falsity of their remarks. Peterson clarified that her offer did not reflect the merits of her lawsuit but rather her desire to end the personal, professional, and emotional distress she has endured.
“Their failure to rectify their statements leaves me with no choice but to clear my name of the scandalous allegation that originated from the Harrises and was disseminated online to millions of people,” Peterson concluded.
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