T.I. took a legal loss in New York after a federal judge legally prevented him and Grand Hustle Films from using the title “Situationships” for their upcoming movie after a battle over the trademark ensued with another production company.
The ruling came after Featherstone Entertainment, founded by Cylla Senii, sued Grand Hustle Films over the use of the word “Situationships,” which it trademarked in 2023. Featherstone has used the name since 2015 for a web series, book and screenplay focused on modern dating. According to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, T.I. and Grand Hustle Films moved forward with the project, using the title in casting calls, interviews and production materials.
The company also attempted to register “Battle of the Situationships” and “City of Situationships,” but the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected at least one of those applications because of Featherstone’s trademark.
Featherstone said it tried to resolve the issue privately, meeting with Grand Hustle Films multiple times, and claim the studio agreed to change the name. Despite those discussions, T.I's company continued filing new trademark applications using the word “Situationships.” After receiving no response to a cease-and-desist letter, Featherstone Entertainment formally filed a lawsuit.
T.I. Lawsuit
Ultimately, the judge sided with Featherstone, ruling the company is likely to succeed in its trademark claim and would suffer harm if Grand Hustle Films continued using the name. The court issued an injunction disallowing T.I. and his team from producing, promoting or distributing any content using “Situationships” or similar terms.
The order also requires Grand Hustle Films to remove the name from any and all promotional materials, websites and products. They must also preserve all documents related to the project. T.I. responded by saying the title was never finalized and his production company had not used the term "Situationships" within the last several months.
Despite the injunction, the case remains in progress. The ruling only prevents T.I. and his company from using the term in question while the dispute is ongoing. In the initial filing, Featherstone cited T.I.'s own win in an intellectual property lawsuit against MGA from earlier this year, saying that he is "engaging in the same conduct he fought so vigorously to protect himself from." That suit is also heading to an imminent retrial.
