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Written by: E. George
Published February 11, 2025 @ 10:24 AM ET
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – Actor, rapper, and Atlanta native T.I., his wife Tameka “Tiny” Harris, and the pop group OMG Girlz won $71 million in a recent lawsuit against MGA Entertainment for reportedly copying the teen girls’ likenesses for their dolls. The couple created the teen girl group, which included their daughter Zonnique “Star” Pullins, in 2009, and the OMG Girlz disbanded in 2015.
The three-week trial in Orange County, California, included testimonies from the three group members, Pullins, Bahja “Beauty” Rodriguez, and Breaunna “Babydoll” Womack. They explained that the O.M.G. doll line copied their styles and looks from several public outings and events.
The OMG Girlz’ attorneys presented online fan posts discussing how they believed the band inspired and was involved with the making of the dolls.
The dollmaker explained that the band sustained no harm or losses and said their dolls were not being confused for the “short-lived” group.
T.I. and Tiny’s attorney alleged that MGA Entertainment was engaging in “bullying and misrepresentations.”
Ultimately, the federal jury found the company guilty of violating the group’s intellectual property rights regarding seven dolls in the product line. The ruling awarded the family and singers $53.6 million in punitive and $17.8 million in real damages.
This suit marks the third time the couple has attempted to sue MGA Entertainment for stealing the appearance of “young multicultural women” and engaging in “cultural appropriation and outright theft.” Their first lawsuit resulted in a mistrial, and their second was ruled in MGA’s favor; however, the ruling was later appealed and overturned.
MGA possesses the option to appeal this verdict if they so choose. The company launched the L.O.L. Surprise! doll line in the winter of 2016, and the toys quickly became an online “unboxing” experience trend with their seven layers of packaging surprises before revealing the doll.
The toys were the top-selling dolls in the United States, with over 2.4 million sold. Additional toy items, animated movies, and video games based on the dolls were also created.