TI and Tiny Harris' former friend, Sabrina Peterson, who is suing the couple for defamation, appeared in court on Monday in Los Angeles for a contempt hearing. While she successfully avoided jail time, the judge threw out her lawsuit for failing to push the case along in an adequate time. “It’s been four years and 24 days. The court finds that plaintiff has failed to prosecute this case," Judge Michael Shultz remarked, as caught by AllHipHop.
Speaking under oath at the hearing, she denied intentionally defying the multiple court orders to pay more than $96,000 in attorneys’ fees to TI and Tiny. Instead, she suggested she simply couldn't afford the legal bill. The drama between the two began in 2021, when Peterson accused TI of allegedly holding a gun to her head. After the couple denied the story, Peterson accused them of tarnishing her reputation. An appeals court ended up ruling that those claims were frivolous, leading to the orders that landed Peterson in court on Monday.
Read More: T.I. Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Ex-Friend, Sabrina Peterson, Over 3-Year-Old Allegations
TI & Tiny Harris Win Lawsuit
TI & Tiny Harris' attorney, Andrew Brettler, argued in favor of holding Peterson in contempt. “It’s been almost two years since she has defied the original court’s order, and almost a year since she defied the second court’s order,” Brettler said, as caught by Rolling Stone. “The case should be dismissed, and Ms. Peterson should be held in contempt of court. She has shown nothing but disrespect. … She brags about how much money she has online and that she’s never paying this sum to the Harrises. And she has absolutely no respect for the court’s time or its orders.”
Regardless of the result, Peterson isn't too upset. “I’m relieved it’s finally over,” she told Rolling Stone as while walking out of the courthouse. “It’s fine. I’m tired. This has gone on for four or five years. I’m really tired.” Despite the dismissal, the Judge Shultz noted that TI and Tiny can still a judgment if they want to continue going after the $96,000.
