T.I. And Tiny Just Got Surprising News Amid Assault Allegations
Veteran rapper Clifford "T.I." Harris and wife Tameka "Tiny" Cottle have been under the spotlight for over three decades. Throughout their illustrious careers, the two have broken musical barriers worldwide — T.I. is credited with innovating trap music, while Tiny went multi-platinum as part of the R&B girl group, Xscape — and even parlayed their success into reality television in the process. Over the course of their 20-year relationship, the power couple, who began dating in 2001 and wed in 2010, has also welcomed three shared biological children and four others from different relationships, per HITC.
However, it hasn't always been sunshine and rainbows for the two. In 2016, Tiny filed for divorce but ultimately reneged on it the year after as the couple sought reconciliation. More distubringly, however, the couple has faced numerous allegations of sexual assault and misconduct in recent memory. According to NBC, the couple has faced accusations of "druggings and sexual assaults in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2015 and 2017." Lawyer Tyrone A. Blackburn, who represents 10 women and one man who are allegedly victims, told NBC that his clients "live a life of mental and emotional torment which caused drug addiction, suicidal ideation, and an emotional toll on their families," as a result of T.I. and Tiny's actions.
But now, T.I. and Tiny have received some surprising news regarding their accusations. So what exactly did T.I. and Tiny learn? Read on to find out!
T.I. and Tiny are off the hook for a 2005 assault
In September, T.I. and Tiny scored a legal slam dunk regarding one of their many allegations of sexual assault. Per TMZ, the power couple got off the hook regarding a 2005 sexual assault incident per a legal technicality: the statute of limitations. Prosecutors have noted the time window specifically as the reason for T.I. and Tiny's victory, noting that the 10-year statute of limitations regarding this case had expired. The final year the accuser would've been able to initiate legal proceedings would've been in 2015. Another case from 2010 has also been closed for the same reason.
In a May report, TMZ recalls the police report surrounding the incident, in which the accuser (known as Jane Doe) revealed she met the couple at a club beforehand. After a few drinks of her own, she accepted one from Tiny and was eventually led back to a hotel room with the two. There, the accuser and the couple allegedly engaged in unsavory acts before the accuser blacked out.
In January, T.I. took to Instagram to share an eight-minute video in which he described the allegations as "egregious" and wrote, "No weapon formed against us shall prosper," adding, "We vehemently deny ALL these disgusting,anonymous allegations." However, there are still more recent claims from 2015 and 2017 per NBC, which would appear to still be within the statute of limitations. Regardless, the couple is celebrating this as a win, with their lawyer telling People that they "are pleased, but not surprised" by the decision.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).