Atlanta, GA: It looks like rapper-turned-actor T.I. could be getting some bad news, but it doesn't involve a studio this time. The King of the South may be dealing with a real-life court situation, as TV producer Cylia Senii is suing him for allegedly jacking the name of her longtime web series Situationships for his upcoming comedy movie.
Senii, who has been producing her series since 2016 under her company, Featherstone Entertainment, is not taking the alleged copycatting lightly. In her complaint, 'Situationships' a series that looks into the ups, downs, and "what are we?" its twist top moments of modern-day dating, has garnered a faithful following across platforms including YouTube, BET Digital, Amazon Prime, and Tubi. So alarm bells sounded when news broke that T.I. was coming out with a film of the same name.
And she didn't waste time. In December 2024, Seniii sent T.I. and his production company, Grand Hustle Films, a cease-and-desist letter. It seems it is enough to take the movie train off the tracks. Now, she's stepping things up, suing for damages and asking the court to stop the film from ever hitting the screens.
This is where the battle gets even uglier: the lawsuit alleges that Senii's original web series team members later defected to work on T.I.'s movie. That raises quite a few eyebrows and questions about how much of her original vision may have surreptitiously crept into his script.
Senii's legal team is not holding back either. They claim that T.I. and his team "acted with actual knowledge" of her project and proceeded apace. "The movie, which intentionally trades on the goodwill and brand recognition" of her series "could damage the goodwill of the series for fans and readers."
And there's more. Senii also opposed T.I.'s trademark application for the word "Situationships." The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ultimately ruled in her favor, rejecting his application in May 2025. Still, the movie seems to be proceeding with no confirmed release date.
The suit levels trademark infringement, unfair competition , and civil conspiracy against T.I., a heady trifecta of offenses that could trouble the Atlanta native. For now, T.I. has yet to comment on the legal dust-up publicly.
The courts will decide whether that amounts to creative theft or mere misfortune; the situation is tricky in the world of situationships.
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