Rapper Tory Lanez Faces Possible Long Prison Term for Shooting Megan Thee Stallion
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rapper Tory Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, could be sentenced to a lengthy prison term on Monday following his conviction for shooting and wounding fellow hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion. Prosecutors in Los Angeles are seeking a 13-year sentence for the 31-year-old Lanez, who has been found guilty of felony charges.
In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors argued that Lanez had re-traumatized Megan through social media posts about the case, which led to his followers attacking her. They are requesting a severe sentence to address the harm caused and protect the victim.
Megan Thee Stallion may make an appearance in court on Monday to deliver a victim impact statement or have one read on her behalf.
Contrary to the prosecutors’ request, Lanez’s lawyers submitted their own sentencing memorandum advocating for probation and his release to a residential substance abuse program. They claimed that the evidence leading to his conviction was “questionable at best” and argued that his lack of remorse should not factor into his sentencing. Lanez’s defense also suggested that if the allegations were true, factors such as alcohol abuse and childhood trauma should be taken into consideration.
Lanez has been in jail since December, when a Los Angeles jury found him guilty of three felonies: assault with a semiautomatic firearm, possession of a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
During the trial, Megan testified that Lanez had shot at the back of her feet and instructed her to dance as she walked away from their SUV in the summer of 2020. The incident occurred after they left a party at Kylie Jenner’s home in the Hollywood Hills.
Superior Court Judge David Herriford, who will preside over Lanez’s sentencing, denied a motion for a new trial from the defense on May 9. Lanez’s attorneys alleged that an Instagram post from his account was improperly admitted as evidence and that Megan’s testimony about his parole status was false and should not have been allowed. They also criticized the DNA evidence presented by the prosecutors.
Lanez’s lawyers plan to appeal the conviction following the sentencing.
Tory Lanez rose to fame with his mixtapes starting in 2009 and eventually gained success with major-label albums. Megan Thee Stallion, already a rising star at the time of the shooting, has since skyrocketed in prominence. She won a Grammy for Best New Artist in 2021 and achieved chart-topping success with songs like “Savage,” featuring Beyoncé, and “WAP” as a guest artist with Cardi B.
The case against Lanez sparked waves of misinformation and online vitriol directed at Megan Thee Stallion, leading to discussions about the specific form of misogyny experienced by Black women known as misogynoir.