Rapper and actor Tip "T.I." Harris is looking to do a lot less of the former job and a lot more of the latter, plus more behind-the-camera film and television work in the bargain, following the big $71 million in damages he and his wife Tiny Harris won in a lawsuit against toy brand MGA Entertainment.
T.I. told the outlet that he's planning to focus on his comedy career, and thanks to his recent court win, he probably won't have to resort to touring for income for the time being unless it's something he wants to do otherwise. He also said he's beginning production on a new movie soon, while his so-called final show will be in his hometown of Atlanta at the Capital One Jingle Ball alongside T-Pain, Khalid, and more.
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In case you didn't know, Harris and Tiny took MGA to court for allegedly infringing on OMG Girlz, the pop group she formed in 2009. The suit claimed that the company's line of "L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls" was a direct infringement of their group and had visual evidence to prove it, showing direct correlations between the public visual appearances of members of the group, including the couple's daughter Zonnique Pullins, and seven "O.M.G. dolls" toys (plus the obvious similarity between the names of the group and the toy line). The jury agreed, awarding them $17.9 million in compensatory damages and $53.6 million in punitive damages, a little over $71 million altogether.
In a press statement from their attorneys, the OMG Girlz family released a press statement celebrating their victory:
"We hope this case makes companies think twice about taking an artist's intellectual property without their permission. We will continue to create our music and grow our signature style for our fans. We love all of you for your support!"
And John Keville of Sheppard Mullin, who served as lead counsel for the Harrises in the case, added a celebratory quote of his own:
"T.I. and Tiny did what any parent would have done—used their resources to stand up for their kids. We were proud to represent the OMG Girlz, Tiny, and T.I., who had the courage to stand up for themselves. They fought a billion-dollar corporate bully with grace, perseverance, and a determination to stand up for themselves and other creatives and because of that a remarkable jury did the fair, just and right thing by holding MGA FULLY ACCOUNTABLE."
Neither of those press statements mention T.I. going full-time into comedy and filmmaking, but that seems to be what his own agenda is for at least the near future.
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