T.I. and Tiny Under Investigation After Sexual Assault Accusations

The Los Angeles Police Department has opened an investigation into rapper T.I. and his wife, Tameka "Tiny" Harris following accusations of sexual assault and drugging. LAPD Officer William Cooper confirmed in a statement to Deadline Monday that "there is an active investigation into" the rapper, whose real name is Clifford Harris, that has been underway for the past several weeks. Although Deadline's report said the LAPD would not initially confirm or deny if Harris was also part of the probe, the Daily Beast reported that she is.

The investigation, according to both outlets, is in connection to an alleged incident in 2005 involving an accuser simply cited as a Jane Doe. LAPD detectives met with the victim in April. The 2005 incident, according to an investigative report made by two LAPD detectives and viewed by the Daily Beast, occurred after the woman claims she and a friend were introduced to T.I. and his wife through a man handing out flyers in the mall. The woman said she was invited back to the couple's hotel room, where she was offered a drink. According to the report, the woman was taken into the bathroom, where "Tiny took off all of victim's clothing," and the three showered. The Jane Doe told detectives that the three eventually ended back up on the bed, where "she began to feel sick when T.I. allegedly stuck his toes into her vagina," despite her having told him "no."

The LAPD is looking into the claim as well as other claims. The woman is represented by lawyer Tyrone A. Blackburn, who in March said he was representing 10 women and one man who described "sexual abuse, forced ingestion of illegal narcotics, kidnapping, terroristic threats and false imprisonment" at the behest of the rapper, T.I., and their employees. One of those women is Rachelle Jenks, who filed a police report in Nevada earlier this month, which detailed a similar scenario. According to the report, "Jenks states that she believes the initial shot of Patron was spiked and because she was drugged and under the influence, she was not able to properly consent to the events that transpired."

In the Los Angeles investigation, Deadline notes that if enough information is found to warrant charges, the file will be passed to Los Angeles County D.A. George Gascón office. After that, the D.A. and the office's sex crimes unit will decide if further action is required. In the wake of the new developments, T.I.'s lawyer Steve Sadow said in a statement that "the Harrises have not spoken to or been contacted by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the Las Vegas Police Department (LVPD) or, indeed, any member of law enforcement from any other jurisdiction in the country." The couple previously denied the allegations against them as "nothing more than the continuation of a sordid shakedown campaign that began on social media and now attempts to manipulate the press and misuse the justice system."

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.