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T.I. And Tiny Deny Sexual Misconduct Claims As Lawyer Calls For Widespread Investigation
A lawyer who represents 11 people accusing T.I. and Tiny of wrongdoing is asking prosecutors in both Georgia and California to take action.
Rapper T.I. and his wife, Tiny, have denied claims of sexual misconduct amid an attorney’s call that authorities in two states launch an investigation into the accusations.
Tyrone A. Blackburn, a lawyer for 11 individuals, many of whom have chosen to remain anonymous, said in a press release Sunday and during a press conference Monday that more than 30 people in total have reached out to him with sexual misconduct claims regarding the couple. As a result, he is encouraging prosecutors in Georgia and California to investigate, CNN reports.
T.I. and Tiny, whose real names are Clifford and Tameka Harris, stand accused of committing “drugging, kidnapping, rape, and intimidation in at least two states” over the course of more than a decade, according to the outlet.
One woman claimed that after being hired to dance for the couple in 2018 she was forced to take illegal drugs and have sex with other women over the course of the three days she says she was kept there. The woman said she was held without a phone and without her consent, Page Six reports. Another alleged victim said that she was working for the couple as an assistant in 2015 when they made her take ecstasy; she was a teen at the time, according to the outlet. Another woman, Sabrina Peterson, who was among the first to come forward publicly with her claims, has filed a defamation suit against her former friends. None of Blackburn’s other clients is seeking monetary damages from the Harrises, he said.
Of the 11 people Blackburn is representing, 10 of them are women. Three of the accusers have made claims that are not sexual in nature, and none of the individuals know each other.
In response to the renewed allegations, the couple’s lawyer, Steve Sadow, issued a denial on their behalf.
“Clifford (T.I.) and Tameka [Tiny] Harris deny in the strongest possible terms these unsubstantiated and baseless allegations. We are confident that if these claims are thoroughly and fairly investigated, no charges will be forthcoming,” he said in the statement, which was obtained by Page Six.
In his press release, Blackburn called for prosecutors in Georgia and California to “to tackle and end the stream of depravity being committed” by launching an investigation, The New York Times reports. The outlet has reportedly spoken to five of the unnamed individuals making claims regarding the Harrises or someone close to them. It is alleged that the pair, both of whom have had lengthy careers in the hip hop industry, use their fame to target women, sexually abuse them, and then intimidate their victims into silence, according to the outlet. Three of the individuals had photos or other evidence to support the timing of their version of events.
Peterson, the only victim publicly named, first came forward with her claims on social media, alleging in an Instagram post earlier this year that T.I. had once put a gun to her head. The rapper seemed to respond to the claims against him and his wife in late January, stating in an eight-minute video that he “has proof” that the claims against them are not factual and implied that the claims were made as ploys for attention.
In the couple’s recent statement, their attorney alluded to various allegations that have been circulating online.
“These allegations are nothing more than the continuation of a sordid shakedown campaign that began on social media. The Harrises implore everyone not to be taken in by these obvious attempts to manipulate the press and misuse the justice system,” he said.
Amid news of the allegations, MTV announced last month that they were halting production of the couple’s reality show, “T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle,” Deadline reports.
“We are aware of the allegations, and while they are not connected to our show, we have reached out to T.I. and Tameka Harris, as well as local and state officials,” a representative for MTV Entertainment told the outlet. “Given the serious nature of the allegations, we have decided to suspend production in order to gather more information.”
