Rapper T.I. and wife Tameka 'Tiny' Harris have been sued for defamation amid sexual abuse allegations against them.
Sabrina Peterson, who hit headlines in January when she accused T.I. of putting a gun to her head in a post on Instagram and also used her social media account to share testimonies from over 30 women making sexual abuse allegations against the pair, claims she has been harassed and defamed by the couple following her posts.
She's suing T.I. and Tiny for defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other claims.
However, a lawyer for the couple hit back at the lawsuit in a statement, saying to Billboard: "Ms. Peterson is the definition of 'libel proof'. She has a lengthy rap sheet for crimes involving dishonesty and violence. Nothing our clients may have said about her is defamatory. Ultimately, not only will Peterson’s meritless lawsuit be dismissed, but also she will be responsible for paying the legal fees the Harrises will be forced to incur in connection with it."
The new lawsuit comes amid lawyer Tyrone A. Blackburn's call for a sexual abuse investigation into the pair.
Blackburn, who is representing 11 alleged victims, penned a letter sent to state and federal authorities in Georgia and California in which he urged them to look further into the claims of "sexual abuse, forced ingestion of illegal narcotics, kidnapping, terroristic threats and false imprisonment" against T.I. and Tiny, some of which go back to 2005.
T.I. and Tiny strenuously denied the claims in a statement via their lawyer Steve Sadow, which read: "Clifford (T.I.) and Tameka 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.
"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."
