Rapper T.I. and his wife, Tameka “Tiny” Harris' VH1 reality series has been suspended as the couple is facing allegations of sexual abuse. A spokesperson for MTV Entertainment announced the decision to stop the production of T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle, which had been filming its fourth season since December, Rolling Stone reported.
“We are aware of the allegations, and while they are not connected to our show, we have reached out to T.I. and Tameka Harris, as well as local and state officials," the spokesperson said, "Given the serious nature of the allegations, we have decided to suspend production in order to gather more information.”
The allegations surfaced in January when Sabrina Peterson took to Instagram to accuse T.I. of putting a gun to her head. Peterson then shared statements from more than 30 women who claimed to have been drugged, coerced, or forced into sex and trafficked by the Harrises.
In a statement to Complex, the couple said they have experienced "difficulty" with Peterson for more than 10 years.
“Mr. and Mrs. Harris want to be on record and more importantly want the public to know they emphatically deny in the strongest way possible the egregiously appalling allegations being made against them by Sabrina Peterson," a spokesperson said. "They are taking this matter very seriously, and if these allegations don’t end, they will take appropriate legal action.”
The #MeToo movement recently joined other advocacy groups, the National Women’s Law Center and Time's Up Foundation, to specifically show support for Black survivors of sexual abuse. Addressing the issue in a letter, the advocates said countless survivors have come forward in recent days with credible accusations of horrific sexual abuse and violence at the hands of Black celebrities such as T.I and Soulja Boy.
"R&B singer Raz B has spoken out once again about his experience of sexual abuse – yet no media outlets, corporate actors, or systems of justice have centered survivors’ stories or promised accountability," the letter stated. "Like you, we are carrying the emotional weight of this news and know that we are reliving a collective trauma akin to the exposing of [Bill] Cosby and R. Kelly."
The advocates encouraged survivors to remember that their "stories are valuable" and their "voice is needed."
"We are here to support you," the group stated.
Additionally, the letter advised the community to show support for the survivors "by redirecting harmful narratives that shame or blame survivors for coming forward."
"Let’s hold each other accountable by calling out the behaviors that keep all of us from feeling safe and healing," #MeToo and its partners said.
The advocates also urged the media to "make Black survivors’ experiences visible and reframe the narrative to center justice for survivors."
"Treat Black survivor stories with journalistic integrity," they wrote. "Conduct thorough investigations and examinations of claims made by the survivors."
