The choose presiding over T.I. and his spouse Tameka “Tiny” Harris‘s lawsuit in opposition to a toymaker has been declared a mistrial, after jurors heard a girl testifying she “did not want to support a company that steals from African Americans and their ideas.”
The lawsuit, filed in opposition to MGA Entertainment, claims the toy firm stole from their daughter’s likeness for his or her LOL Surprise Dollz toy line, which the girl in query referred to as cultural appropriation.
Zonnique Pullins, T.I.‘s stepdaughter, had beforehand been part of the lady rap group OMG Girlz, whose likeness bares a surprisingly resemblance to the aforementioned dolls, The Shade Room beforehand reported.
Jury Overhears Woman Making Prejudicial Comments In Rapper T.I.’s Lawsuit Against A Toy Company
On Wednesday, Senior U.S. District Judge James V. Selna declared the mistrial, agreeing with an argument made by MGA’s attorneys.
“I did not want to support a company that steals from African Americans and their ideas,” the girl was overheard saying.
Jurors in @MGAEnt v. @Tip heard from a girl who stated she stopped shopping for OMG Dolls as a result of “I did not want to support a company that steals from African Americans and their ideas.”
Today, a choose declared a mistrial due to it, agreeing with this argument from MGA’s attorneys. pic.twitter.com/51LXV8gFBO
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) January 25, 2023
According to court docket paperwork obtained by crime reporter Meghann Cuniff, Judge Selna deemed the girl’s testimony concerning cultural appropriation a “rant” that’s prejudicial in opposition to the defendants, which on this case is MGA Entertainment.
Rapper’s Lawyer Attempts To Get Judge To Reconsider, Claiming The Woman’s Testimony Wouldn’t Help Their Case
T.I.’s lawyer, Erin Ranahan, tried to get Judge Selna to rethink, claiming the testimony wasn’t something useful for his or her case.
“We did not want that theme before this jury in particular. This is not Los Angeles. There’s not a single Black person on the jury.”
The rapper and his spouse are suing a toymaker for utilizing his stepdaughter’s likeness in a collection of dolls, which they declare ripped off her look whereas working within the rap group OMG Girlz.
Coming quickly to the federal courthouse in Santa Ana, California: Rapper T.I. and his spouse, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, are going to trial to defend the mental property rights of the previous lady rap group OMG Girlz in a lawsuit with toymaker MGA Entertainment. pic.twitter.com/5yTN39AXHA
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) January 5, 2023
In April 2022, Pullins accused the doll firm’s LOL Dolls of plagiarizing the aesthetic of OMG Girlz, a gaggle she was in throughout her teenage years, The Shade Room‘s Nick Fenley wrote for Blavity on the time.
The Harris household have been amidst a trial to defend the mental property rights of former lady rap group OMG Girlz, Cuniff reviews.
Lawsuit Has “Big Cultural Misappropriation, Racism Issues Being Considered In Litigation,” Reporter Says
In an Instagram publish Zonnique made in April, she polled her followers on the matter, having them select between “Hope you got paid” and “Nope, don’t see (the resemblance).”
Roughly 95 % of respondents sided with Pullins.
The trial itself goes to be about MGA’s LOL Dolls and whether or not or not they infringe on OMG Girlz. The doll maker was really the primary to provoke litigation again in 2020, however now T.I. and Tiny have gone on the offensive with a counterclaim.
Cuniff reviews the swimsuit has “big cultural misappropriation and racism issues being considered in litigation, among other pre-trial issues,” she tweeted.
It’s unclear as to when a brand new trial will start.
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