T.I. reportedly wants judges to throw out recent defamation suit
The Atlanta rapper claims the woman who filed the suit has a poor reputation
T.I. is asking a judge to throw out a defamation lawsuit alleging he put a gun to a woman’s head and threatened to kill her.
The 40-year-old Atlanta rapper (real name Clifford J. Harris Jr.) is questioning the credibility of allegations made by Sabrina Peterson, who is suing T.I. for libel, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and more.
T.I.’s lawyer Andrew Brettler said that Peterson is an “adjudged liar, a convicted felon with a lengthy rap sheet for crimes involving dishonesty and violent assault, and has a reputation for being unscrupulous.” TMZ has also obtained new legal documents where the rapper claims Peterson is unreputable.
Peterson’s suit also alleges T.I. and his wife, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, started a smear campaign against her by criticizing her on social media and by making public statements.
Some of the “defamatory statements” Peterson references came from a comment Tiny made on The Shade Room’s Instagram account in January, where she called Peterson “strange” and “special.”
“Hold up… So you want your abuser to train your sons? He was just uncle 2 years ago Now when did you say my husband assaulted you? Did you change your mind or change it back?” wrote Tiny. “What wit you today Pooh? I’m confused. Stop Harassing My Family. You strange. Everybody know you been special (face slicing seminar lady). Please get help but LEAVE US ALONE.”
Peterson filed the suit in the Los Angeles Superior Court in March. Also named as a defendant is hairdresser Shekinah Jones Anderson, occasionally seen on the Harrises reality show T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle.
Peterson, founder of Glam University which is described on the company’s website as “online education for the modern female boss,” claims to have known the Harrises for over a decade. She first made the allegations against T.I. in January, when she took to Instagram to accuse T.I. of putting a gun to her head. She also called him a “predator.”
“The sad part about being a woman & BEING A BLACK WOMAN IS THIS! The public PRAISES OUR PREDATORS! @troubleman31 you PUT A GUN TO MY HEAD IN FRONT OF CHILDREN & I NEVER CALLED THE POLICE ON YOU!” wrote Peterson in the post’s caption.
She then used her account to accuse the Harrises of sexual abuse, posting statements on her Instagram story from more than 30 women who came forward with claims of the Harrises coercing or forcing them into sexual activities.
In a statement released via Complex, a spokesperson for the Harrises denied the allegations, calling them “egregiously appalling” and threatening legal action.
“Mr. and Mrs. Harris want to be on record and more importantly want the public to know they emphatically deny in the strongest way possible the egregiously appalling allegations being made against them by Sabrina Peterson,” the spokesperson said. “The Harrises have had difficulty with this woman for well over a decade. They are taking this matter very seriously, and if these allegations don’t end, they will take appropriate legal action.”
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