T.I., the Grammy-winning rapper and Hip-Hop mainstay, is set to enter a Los Angeles courtroom alongside Sabrina Peterson in September 2026, for a long-awaited defamation trial that stems from years of public accusations, legal filings and social media fallout.
The federal case, which has been marred by delays, motions and counterclaims, centers on dueling allegations between T.I. and Peterson, an entrepreneur and influencer.
T.I. filed suit in December 2024, claiming Peterson falsely accused him on Instagram of being under federal investigation for sex trafficking.
Peterson denied the allegations were false and responded with her own claims, alleging T.I. defamed her business, Pretty High Co., by stating she sold cannabis products without a license.
The court has scheduled a settlement conference for November 24, 2025. If that fails, the case will proceed to trial in late September the following year.
This isn’t the first time the two have clashed in court. Peterson originally filed a defamation lawsuit in 2021 against T.I., his wife Tiny Harris and a third party, alleging T.I. once held a gun to her head during a dispute with his assistant.
She claimed the couple’s public denials and statements harmed her reputation and caused emotional distress.
However, that case was dismissed in March 2025 after Peterson missed court deadlines, failed to pay $96,000 in legal fees and did not comply with court orders.
Peterson attempted to revive the suit, arguing that her previous legal team had mishandled the case. A judge rejected her appeal in October 2025. Her attorney called the dismissal “a miscarriage of justice” and said they plan to appeal.
Meanwhile, T.I. has moved to strike Peterson’s counterclaims in the federal case, arguing her accusations are legally baseless and protected speech under California’s anti-SLAPP statute.
His legal team maintains that his statements were made in the context of litigation and therefore fall under litigation privilege.
Peterson’s counterclaims include that a July 2025 Instagram video by T.I., which did not mention her by name, was meant to cause her emotional harm. T.I.’s attorneys argue that the video fails to meet the legal standards for intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Both legal teams have requested more time to complete discovery and clarify the scope of the trial.
In a joint statement, they informed the court that they’ve been “cooperatively and professionally engaged in ongoing communications” and that additional time would enable them to “meaningfully participate in mediation.”
They also cited personal matters, including medical issues and a death in the family, as reasons for the delay. Both sides requested a trial date of September 29, 2026.