Tory Lanez Sentenced to 10 Years in Megan Thee Stallion Shooting Case
Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Tuesday, August 8, after being found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in both of her feet.
Before the ruling was made, Lanez, 31, spoke in front of Judge David Herriford, asking for leniency. Lanez told the judge that he still cares for Megan, 28, “dearly to this day” and that she is his “friend.” Lanez also had 76 character references submitted by friends, family and other supporters including Iggy Azalea.
Meanwhile, Megan was not present for the hearing but a written statement was read on her behalf. The letter explained that her absence was to protect her mental wellbeing and she accused Lanez of not showing any remorse for the incident.
“He not only shot me, he made a mockery of my trauma. He tried to position himself as a victim and set out to destroy my character and my soul,” Megan’s message read. “He lied to anyone that would listen and paid bloggers to disseminate false information about the case on social media.”
The note continued: “He released music videos and songs to damage my character and continue his crusade. At first, he tried to deny the shooting ever happened. Then, he attempted to place the blame on my former best friend. In his tantrum of lies, he’s blamed the system, blamed the press and, as of late, he’s using his childhood trauma to shield himself and avoid culpability.”
Lanez’s sentencing comes after he was found guilty of three felony assault charges in December 2022. In August 2020, Megan, 28, claimed via Instagram Live that Lanez, 31, had shot her one month prior after they left a party at Kylie Jenner’s house. She underwent surgery to have shrapnel removed from her left foot after the incident.
Lanez was arrested in October 2020 and charged with felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, possession of a concealed, unregistered firearm and negligent discharge of a firearm. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Prior to his trial, which began in December 2022, Lanez addressed the shooting on his September 2020 album Daystar. On the track "Money Over Fallouts," he denied committing the crime, rapping: “How the f—k you get shot in your foot, don't hit no bones or tendons? / How the f—k your team is tryna to paint me as some whole menace?”
Drake also came under fire for seemingly referencing the case in his November 2022 song “Circo Loco.” In the song’s first verse, Drake, 36, rapped: “This bitch lie 'bout gettin shots but she still a stallion / She don't even get the joke but she still smilin'.”
Hours after the song’s release, Megan took to social media to slam the lyric. “I know I’m very popular but y’all gotta stop attaching weak ass conspiracy theories in bars to my name lol,” she wrote via Twitter at the time.
Lil Yachty, a cowriter on the song, subsequently denied that the lyric was a dig at Megan. “It’s not about Megan, it’s about women lying about their butt shots saying it’s real when it’s fake,” he said via Instagram Live in November 2022, adding that he knew Drake was “not going to address” the controversy himself.
Megan, for her part, opened up about the emotional toll of having her account of the shooting questioned in an essay she penned for Elle in April.
“Not only did I survive being shot by someone I trusted and considered a close friend, but I overcame the public humiliation of having my name and reputation dragged through the mud by that individual for the entire world to see,” she wrote. “Even some of my peers in the music industry piled on with memes, jokes and sneak disses, and completely ignored the fact that I could have lost my life. Instead of condemning any form of violence against a woman, these individuals tried to justify my attacker’s actions.”
Megan added that when Lanez was found guilty, it represented more than just personal “vindication” for her. “It was a victory for every woman who has ever been shamed, dismissed, and blamed for a violent crime committed against them,” she wrote.