by Kandiss Edwards
October 18, 2025
Court dismisses Sabrina Peterson’s defamation lawsuit due to her failure to adhere to the legal process.
Rapper T.I. and his wife Tiny Harris have gained a legal victory as a judge declined to reinstate the defamation lawsuit brought by influencer Sabrina Peterson.
After years of legal preceding Clifford Harris and Tameka Harris are free from the legal battle. Peterson filed her complaint in March 2021, claiming that T.I. held a gun to her head during an altercation. She adds that after the incident that both T.I. and Tiny then defamed her through social media posts and private communications.
While the initial suit was broad, over the course of the legal battle Peterson’s case narrowed to two claims, defamation and invasion of privacy. In March 2025 a judge ruled her case should be dismissed due to her failure to prosecute the action diligently.
Legal filings reveal the court found that Peterson missed deadlines, failed to appear at hearings. Additionally, Peterson did not comply with court orders for discovery and $96,000 in attorneys’ fees owed to T.I. and Tiny. The court deemed the procedural failures sufficient to toss the case, leaving the merit of the allegations untested.
Peterson’s attorney, Kieta T. Middleton, says she plans to appeal the ruling as she should not be held accountable for the ineptitude of prior counsel.
“The court incorrectly applied the law and there has been an extreme miscarriage of justice, not just today but throughout the entire life of the claim – mostly due to ineffectiveness of Ms. Peterson’s prior attorneys, whose actions, or lack thereof, have just been endorsed by the court,” Middleton told Rolling Stone “It’s unfortunate for me to have to clean up a mess not caused by myself or Ms. Peterson, but we shall see if the appellate panel agrees with today’s decision.”
For T.I. and Tiny, the dismissal means the pair can move forward with other ventures and victories. In March 2025, the couple finalized another major lawsuit on behalf of their teen group the OMG Girlz. T.I. and Tiny sued the maker of O.M.G. Dolls claiming the company used the group’s likeness without permission. They were awarded $53.6 million in punitive damages and $17.9 million in actual damages.
The initial monetary judgement was questioned by the presiding judge. In March 2025, the $71.5 million award against MGA Entertainment was affirmed.
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