T.I. and Tiny’s Wild Battle for $71 Million Award at Doll Trial Explained

Tameka "Tiny" Harris and T.I. attend event in Atlanta on June 3, 2021. - Credit: Prince Williams/Wireimage

When a California jury handed hip-hop mogul T.I. and his wife Tameka “Tiny” Harris an eye-popping $71.4 million award at a civil trial that pitted the couple’s pop group OMG Girlz against a line of candy-colored plastic dolls, even Tiny was blown away.

“I mean, wow. They did more than I thought they would,” she told Rolling Stone, referring to the generous jurors as she left the courthouse last September. “They blessed us more than beyond.”

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Three weeks later, T.I. appeared on an Atlanta radio station and announced his retirement from live performance. “I do not need the money anymore,” the rapper born Clifford Harris said. “I don’t want people to pay me to hop around and sweat for their entertainment anymore.”

After three trials spanning almost two years, it seemed like the couple’s long battle was over. They proved toy titan MGA Entertainment stole the name, neon hair, and distinct fashions of their teen trio for MGA’s wildly popular line of the L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls. And jurors found the infringement was willful.

But the war wasn’t over. On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled that the largest chunk of the award — the $53.6 million awarded for punitive damages — was not supported by the evidence. He said the couple had a choice. They could take $1 for punitive damages on top of the $17.9 million compensatory damages and walk away, or they could opt for yet another new trial. On Thursday, the couple’s lawyer rejected the $1, setting the stage for a fourth jury to hear evidence in the case.

So how exactly did we get here after so much time and money already spent in court? It’s been a long road stretching back decades. Here’s your timeline to get up to speed:

MGA Launches Bratz Dolls, May 21, 2001

MGA catapulted itself into the top ranks of toy manufacturing when it introduced its first line of wide-eyed and culturally diverse Bratz dolls. The original quartet of 10-inch dolls were Yasmin (Latina),Cloe (white), Jade (East Asian), and Sasha (Black). Company CEO Isaac Larian would go on the credit MGA with having “invented diversity in dolls.” Bratz toys became a billion-dollar brand within two years and were credited with revolutionizing a corner of the market long dominated by Mattel’s Barbie.

The OMG Girlz Are Formed, 2009

A member of the Nineties R&B groupXscapeas well as a songwriter known for theTLChit “No Scrubs,” Tiny switched gears to management and formed the first version of the OMG Girlz with daughter Zonnique Pullins, Bahja Rodriguez, and other temporary members including Lil Wayne’s daughter Reginae Carter. The group made its TV debut on Tiny’s BET reality show Tiny and Toya. After Carter left, the group evolved into a trio with Pullins, Rodriguez, and new core member Breaunna Womack. The OMG Girlz later appeared on the 2012 VH1 show T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle, and they were nominated for the Outstanding New Artist award at the 2013 NAACP Image Awards.

MGA Debuts L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls, Dec. 7, 2016

When MGA launched its set of miniature collectible dolls known as L.O.L. Surprise!, the line became the company’s new best-selling juggernaut. The blockbuster dolls quickly filled the void left by the waning popularity of the Bratz line. Famously dressed in crop tops, fishnet stockings and miniskirts, the Bratz toys were called out by the American Psychological Associationfor “sexualizing” young girls. The new L.O.L. Surprise! line featured smaller, brighter and less-edgy models sold in blind packaging that made each surprise “unboxing,” and its rush of feel-good neurotransmitters, part of the fun.

MGA Introduces the L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. Line at Center of Case, July 10, 2019

Looking to expand its new powerhouse product line, MGA released its L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. Outrageous Millennial Girls line with bigger dolls marketed as the big sisters of its prior offerings. Like the original line, the new dolls were sold in opaque packaging. But getting back to more of a Bratz aesthetic, the company added more articulation and more elaborate, fashion-forward outfits.

The Harrises Send Cease-and-Desist Letter, Dec. 8, 2020

Testifying at trial, Tiny said she learned about the MGA dolls in late 2020 when someone texted her a photo showing a particular doll named “Chillax” on sale at Target. She said the doll’s distinctive white and black two-piece costume was a clear copy of an outfit the OMG Girlz sported on their 2013 All Around The World tour. The doll also had neon blue hair. Tiny said she called Bahja Rodriguez’s mom, who “immediately went crazy.” After that, Tiny contacted her lawyers, and the cease-and-desist letter accusing MGA of infringement was sent.

MGA Files Preemptive Lawsuit, Dec. 22, 2020

After receiving the letter accusing it of copying the OMG Girlz’s signature look, MGA rushed to federal court and asked a judge to step in and affirm that it owned everything about its L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls and did nothing wrong. In the 10-page complaint, MGA said its L.O.L. Surprise! products were among the bestselling toys in the U.S. It also claimed OMG Girlz disbanded in 2015, so there was “no likelihood of confusion that the OMG Girlz sponsored or are associated with L.O.L. Surprise!”

T.I. and Tiny File Counterclaim, Feb. 22, 2021

The Harrises, on behalf of the OMG Girlz, answered the lawsuit and filed a counterclaim alleging MGA illegally copied the trade dress, name and brand of the OMG Girlz without consent. They said Larian and MGA “engaged in both cultural appropriation and outright theft of the intellectual property, brand and image of a musical recording group of young multicultural women.”

First Trial, Jan. 25, 2023

The first attempt to reach a verdict in the case ended in a mistrial after jurors heard barred testimony accusing the toy company of “racist cultural appropriation.” U.S. District Court Judge James V. Selna made a pre-trial ruling that the Harrises had to steer clear of their claims that Larian engaged in a “routine practice” of “using his doll business to misappropriate the likeness of Black female artists.” So it was a violation when a consumer testified on video that she “stopped purchasing” MGA’s dolls when she learned the OMG Girlz were not affiliated with the toys. The woman said she “did not want to support a company that steals from African Americans and their ideas.”

Second Trial, May 9, 2023

A second trial in the case started in Santa Ana, California, with Judge Selna at the helm again. Two weeks later, a jury returned a verdict in favor of MGA. The jury found that the OMG Girlz had not proven that the L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. doll line infringed the OMG Girlz’ colorful trade dress or misappropriated the OMG Girlz’ name, likeness, or identity.

Verdict Overturned, June 8, 2023

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a major ruling that found the First Amendment didn’t necessarily protect a dog toy company that created a humorous chew toy that looked like a bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey. The ruling led Judge Selna to find that one of the jury instructions related to the Harrises’ trade dress claim was erroneous. He granted the Harrises the right to a third trial in the case.

Third Trial Begins, Sept. 3, 2024

When the Harrises started their third trial, they narrowed the scope of their claims to just seven dolls out of the dozens they previously challenged. T.I. and Tiny both took the witness stand, but it was MGA designer Lora Stephens whose testimony may have been the most significant. She told jurors she knew about the OMG Girlz before she started working at MGA in 2017 and that she followed Tiny on Instagram. She also had a photo of Womack on her Pinterest board, though the inspiration board had approximately 1,200 images total. Stephens admitted MGA had not asked her about her knowledge of OMG Girlz before the company responded to a discovery request in the case saying no employees knew about the group before the lawsuit.

New Verdict Awards Harrises $71 million, Sept. 23, 2024

The jury found MGA infringed on the OMG Girlz’ trade dress with respect to all seven dolls: Chillax, Roller Chick, Metal Chick, Bhad Gurl, Prism, Miss Divine, and Runaway Diva. The jury also found the same seven dolls misappropriated the OMG Girlz’ name, likeness, or identity. The panel awarded $17,872,253 in compensatory damages and $53,616,759 in punitive damages. “I think justice was served. I think it’s a testament to the relentlessness and resilience of my wife, daughter, and nieces,” T.I. toldRolling Stoneby phone, minutes after the verdict. “We’re just happy we were able to come out on top and fight for creatives and our intellectual property that large corporations seem to think is just public domain and free for all to come and grab and use.”

MGA Challenge, May 27, 2025

MGA filed a motion claiming “the staggering amount of the punitive award” violated its right to due process. The company asked Judge Selna to step in and vacate the “constitutionally excessive” award or, at a minimum, order a new trial.

Punitive Damages Award Gutted, July 8, 2025

Judge Selna issued a ruling that effectively slashed the $53.6 million punitive award down to $1 while leaving the $17.9 million award for compensatory damages in place. While he faulted Larian for the “belittling” way he treated the Harrises, the judge said that the evidence at trial, in his opinion, failed to show MGA designers “willfully” copied the OMG Girlz. He described Larian as an Iranian immigrant who proudly sold a “diverse line of dolls” well before launching his L.O.L. Surprise! line.

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As Rolling Stone previously reported, Judge Selna gave the Harrises the option of rejecting his proposed $1 in punitive damages and going for another trial. His ruling did not clarify the contours such a trial would take. In a statement to Rolling Stone, the lead lawyer for T.I. and Tiny said he believed it would be only a “mini-trial” on the issue of whether MGA acted “willfully” and should be on the hook for some new amount of punitive damages. “We expect another jury will be similarly offended by MGA’s maliciousness and copying,” the lawyer, John Keville, said. A day later, on July 9, the Harrises filed paperwork confirming they wanted to try again with a fourth trial.

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