T.I. and Tiny Harris denied any wrongdoing after a Jane Doe sued them for sexual assault and battery in California. The couple responded to the woman’s lawsuit in a statement to AllHipHop on Wednesday (January 3).
“On the heels of positivity, negativity always rears its ugly head,” T.I. and Tiny told AllHipHop. “This plaintiff has been threatening to file this lawsuit for THREE years. For THREE years, we have emphatically and categorically denied these allegations. For THREE years we have maintained our innocence and refused to pay these extortionate demands for things we didn’t do. For THREE years, we’ve maintained the same position while the claims in this story have changed time and time again.”
They added, “Our position is clear… We are innocent of these fake claims, we will not be shaken down, and we look forward to our day in court.”
Jane Doe’s lawsuit claimed T.I. and Tiny sexually assaulted her in a hotel room around 2005. The woman and her friend connected with the couple through a man known as Caviar at a party at Coolio’s home.
Caviar allegedly worked for T.I. and Tiny, who did not attend Coolio’s party. Caviar introduced the woman and her friend to the couple the following night at a nightclub in Los Angeles. Jane Doe allegedly had two drinks before Tiny gave her one, which she drank with her friend. The plaintiff believed she was drugged.
According to the lawsuit, T.I. asked the alleged victim to leave the club with him and Tiny. Her friend would supposedly ride with Caviar to the same destination. Jane Doe rode in a vehicle with T.I., Tiny and two other women. Tiny got rid of the two other women at the hotel.
Tiny allegedly took Jane Doe into the bathroom and stripped the woman. A naked T.I. allegedly joined them in the shower.
The plaintiff recalled feeling dizzy and ending up on a bed in the hotel room. She said T.I. ordered her to give him a massage. Later, Tiny allegedly pinned the woman down and started grinding on her. Jane Doe accused T.I. of penetrating her with his toe while she was pinned down. The plaintiff was able to get to the bathroom as she needed to vomit. She eventually passed out and woke up with vaginal pain the next morning. She left the hotel room at the behest of a security guard while T.I. and Tiny slept.
Jane Doe sued T.I. and Tiny for sexual assault, battery, false imprisonment and negligence. She filed her lawsuit almost two decades after the alleged incident thanks to California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act. The law opened the door for civil claims that would otherwise be barred by the statute of limitations.