T.I. Sued Over the Word ‘Situationships’ – TV Producer Cylia Senii Alleges Intellectual Property Theft in Atlanta Legal Showdown

By
Samuel Lopez
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T.I. raises a glass at a recent event, now facing a legal battle in Atlanta over the alleged theft of the “Situationships” title from TV producer Cylia Senii’s hit web series. The lawsuit is putting celebrity influence and creative ownership under the spotlight.

Core Insights

  1. A TV producer takes T.I. to court, alleging theft of her series’ title and creative concept.
  2. Cease-and-desist letters, denied trademarks, and claims of industry insiders switching sides heat up the dispute.
  3. Legal experts say the outcome could reshape how creators protect their content against celebrity influence.

By Samuel Lopez – USA Herald

ATLANTA, GA – What happens when Hollywood ambition collides with the grind of indie TV creators? The answer, at least for Atlanta this summer, is a federal lawsuit brimming with claims of intellectual property theft, celebrity power plays, and industry insiders jumping ship. At the center of it all: Grammy-winning rapper, actor, and movie producer Clifford “T.I.” Harris, and the woman who says he hijacked her life’s work.

Cylia Senii isn’t just a name behind the scenes—she’s the creative force behind Situationships, a web series launched in 2016. “We built something authentic that resonated with a generation navigating modern love and chaos,” Senii said in a 2023 interview with BET Digital. The show found its audience on platforms like YouTube, BET Digital, Amazon Prime, and Tubi, growing from indie darling to cultural touchstone for Black millennial dating.

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Senii’s Atlanta-based Featherstone Entertainment actively produced new seasons through 2024. According to the federal complaint, the Situationships brand was her “intellectual property, cultivated through years of work, investment, and vision.”

Fast-forward to late 2024, when rumors surfaced that T.I. and Grand Hustle Films were wrapping production on a comedy feature titled—what else?—Situationships. The plot, Senii says, mirrors her original concept, and what’s more, several industry insiders who once worked on her series allegedly switched to T.I.’s project.

After learning of the movie, Senii’s legal team sent a cease-and-desist letter in December 2024. The response? Silence, according to the complaint. Instead, the film’s marketing rolled on, even as Senii filed formal opposition to T.I.’s trademark application. In May 2025, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office sided with Senii and denied the application, yet the film’s team allegedly pressed forward.

Senii’s 45-page lawsuit, filed in Atlanta federal court, pulls no punches. It accuses T.I., Grand Hustle Films, and unnamed collaborators of: