T.I.’s Wife Tiny Harris on Her Permanent Change of Eye Color: ‘I Do Crazy Things’

One of Tameka “Tiny” Harris’s characteristic features are her piercing ice gray eyes. But the singer and reality star wasn’t born with them; instead, she went through a dangerous procedure to change her eye color to her liking, and she doesn’t regret it.

Tameka “Tiny” Harris (nee Cottle) jumped to fame in the early ‘90s as part of the R&B girl group Xscape, alongside Kandi Burruss, LaTocha Scott, and Tamika Scott.

Later, she continued adding to her fame with the VH1 reality show “T.I and Tiny: The Family Hustle,” where she and husband T.I showcased their family life alongside their seven children.

Tiny Harris quickly became one of the most followed reality stars on social media, and every step she took earned a lot of attention from fans.

So, when she showed up one day rocking a new eye color—and making it clear it wasn’t a contact lens—people wanted to know how and most importantly why she decided to go through such a dangerous procedure.

THE CHANGE IN TINY HARRIS’S EYES

Harris opened up about the cosmetic procedure to “Good Morning America” in October 2014, two weeks after she returned from Africa, where she got the surgery that is illegal in the U.S.

Zonnique Pullins Tiny’s eldest daughter from a previous relationship to Zonnie Pullins followed her mom’s steps and got the same surgery not long after Harris.

Tiny explained that in the procedure, they use a medical-grade silicone implant of the purchased color—she chose ice gray—and introduce it to the eye through a small incision.

“They told me that the procedure was going to be quick, five to 10 minutes an eye," she said. "They woke me up. It was very blurry, then it kind of fades in."

Harris was more than happy with the results. "I looked into the mirror and I was like, 'They are amazing,'" she said.

Harris later revealed on the TV show “The Preachers” that she had been researching the procedure for about four to five years before deciding to go for it.

And she also made sure the people with whom she got the procedure didn’t have any history of surgeries gone wrong, people going blind, or any other difficulties.

However, in her research, Harris found out some people had returned to reverse the procedure, but that only convinced her to go for it. “I was like okay, well if I don’t agree with them and they don’t work, I can take them out,” she explained.

T.I’S REACTION AND TINY’S JUSTIFICATION

While most people on social media judged Harris for changing her eye-color, stating that she was setting a bad example for young girls, the now 44-year-old said at the time:

“I just wanted to do something different. And I have the right to do that. It's my body.”

She also told “The Preachers”: “I do crazy things.”

As for her husband T.I’s reaction to the surgery, Tiny explained that the rapper was worried at first, but later embraced her new appearance with no problem.

"He loves them," she said. "He's OK with it as long as I'm healthy and don't have any problems.”

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER

Zonnique Pullins, Tiny’s eldest daughter from a previous relationship to Zonnie Pullins, followed her mom’s steps and got the same surgery not long after Harris.

Zonnique was 18 at the time, and she changed her eye color from brown to grayish-blue.

However, in October 2018, fans noticed that Zonnique’s original brown irises were back, meaning, she reversed the procedure.

According to Dr. James C. Tsai, president of New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, many potential risks come with the surgery that can be sight-threatening, like glaucoma, cataract, and corneal problems.

Three years after the procedure, Zonnique said her eye started to bother her, and her doctor warned her she could go blind, which is why she decided to remove the implants.

“I’ve never liked to recommend anyone to do it,” she told a fan on Instagram who asked about her experience. “I can say that the experience wasn’t the best in the long term, but everyone is different. My moms are fine.”

MORE ON T.I AND TINY’S FAMILY LIFE

The controversial couple married in 2010 but have been dating since 2001, meaning they have been together for almost twenty years now.

Together, they are the proud parents of three children: sons Clifford and Major, and daughter Heiress. On top of that, Tiny has Zonnique, and T.I is the father of three more kids from previous relationships: sons Domani and Messiah, and daughter Deyjah Harris.

In the past years, the Harris family has faced several controversies, from T.I’s cheating scandals to Tiny filing for divorce and then stopping the procedure, to the most recent scandal involving Deyjah and her father.

Still, the family is stronger than ever, and they’re back on TV on the reality show “T.I & Tiny: Friends and Family Hustle.”