A California federal judge has declared a mistrial Wednesday (Jan. 25) morning in T.I. and Tiny’s lawsuit against MGA Entertainment over the inspiration for their L.O.L Surprise! OMG Dolls.
The couple tried to obtain payment from the children’s toy manufacturer, which produced popular doll franchises including Bratz, Num Noms, and Rainbow High, for use of the likeness of the group, OMG Girlz, when designing its line of L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. Dolls. T.I. and Tiny added a counterclaim, accusing the company of misappropriating and exploiting OMG Girlz in what they are claiming is a racist move that refuses to compensate the group’s creators who are Black.
According to Law 360, the court ruled cultural appropriation to be inadmissible and not allowed to be presented to the jury.“I think it’s evident that there were shortcomings on the part of everybody, including the court,” to get the parties to the point they’re at today, Judge James V. Selna said. “For all the foregoing reasons, I grant a mistrial with reluctance. I think it’s entirely proper and necessary.”
OMG Girlz was an Atlanta-based teen girl group. The group, which was formed in 2009 by Tiny, consisted of members Zonnique Pullins, Reginae Carter, Lourdes Rodriguez, Bahja Rodriguez, and Breaunna Womack. They were best known for their singles “Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Where the Boys At?,” and “Gucci This (Gucci That).”