Prosecutors shared a written statement from Megan during the hearing on Monday.
Megan Thee Stallion is asking the Los Angeles County Superior Court to hold Tory Lanez fully accountable for shooting her in the feet as the 31-year-old awaits his sentencing.
On Monday, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Kathy Ta read a statement written by Megan during Lanez’s sentencing hearing at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. The GRAMMY winner, who wasn’t at the hearing, gave a pre-written statement detailing how she has suffered since the Canadian-born rapper shot her in the feet three years ago.
"Since I was viciously shot by the defendant, I have not experienced a single day of peace," Megan wrote. "Slowly but surely, I'm healing and coming back, but I will never be the same."
The 28-year-old previously testified during the trial, telling the court that she was having "a really difficult time sitting up here comfortably telling my story. I've got to sit across from Tory ... I'm really trying to come off as a strong woman. I don't want to give them the power they've been taking from me going on three years."
In her statement, the hip-hop star reiterated the sentiment, sharing that she struggled with whether she should give her statement in person, but "simply could not bring myself to be in a room with Tory again."
She asked that her decision not be taken as a sign of indifference, urging that Judge David Herriford issue a stiff sentence and make Lanez take full accountability for his actions.
"I've been tormented and terrorized. He lied to anyone that would listen... He paid bloggers to disseminate false information, he treated my trauma like a joke when I could've been dead," Megan continued, noting that Lanez hasn't shown any remorse. "He blamed the system, he blamed the press, and as of late he is using his childhood trauma to justify his actions."
"His crime warrants the full weight of the law," she wrote.
Lanez -- born Daystar Peterson -- has been in jail since Dec. 23, 2022, when a jury convicted him of first-degree assault, discharge of a firearm with gross negligence and having a concealed and unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He maintains his innocence.
Megan first accused the rapper of shooting her in the feet in August 2020, sharing that the assault occurred after a pool party at the home of Kylie Jenner in July of that year. Megan, Lanez, and Kelsey Harris – Megan's former best friend and assistant at the time – were involved in an altercation that ended in shots being fired. Lanez was officially charged in October 2020 and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
After the Texas Southern University graduate came forward with her allegations, the case played out on social media and even in music released by rappers not involved in the conflict. On his album, Daystar, released in 2020 and more than two months after the encounter, Lanez refuted Megan's allegations on the album's first track, "Money Over Fallouts," claiming that Megan and her team are trying to frame him.
Meanwhile, Megan has called out false reporting, dealt with Lanez allegedly fabricating emails from her label for the press and suffered intense victim-blaming from the shooting incident.
The prosecution recommended that Lanez be sentenced to 13 years in prison back in June. His attorneys asked that the rapper be sentenced to probation or three years in prison, acknowledging that, legally, Lanez is presumed ineligible for probation, but said his case is so unusual it should warrant an exception.
Monday's hearing mostly centered around Lanez's team building their case for probation and rehabilitation for what they said were substance abuse issues. Eight witness statements were prepared on behalf of Lanez, with all eight witnesses appearing in person to read their statements one by one.
Judge Herriford revealed that he got over 70 letters of support for Lanez, including one from Australian rapper Iggy Azalea and two jailers. He briefly summarized each letter, saying Azalea asked that the sentence be "transformational, not life-destroying."
Lanez's father was one of the witnesses who spoke on behalf of his son, pleading that the judge show mercy for his son. He apologized for an earlier outburst in court, saying he was "very emotional" over his son's situation. Peterson, a Christian minister, talked about how Lanez was deeply affected by the death of his late wife, Luella, who died just a few days after showing the first symptoms of a rare blood disorder. "But his music became his outlet," he said.
In a tearful apology, Peterson said, "God has put it in his hands," and quoted a Bible verse.
Meanwhile, Megan has previously opened up about her healing journey after testifying against her one-time friend.
Reflecting on the past three years, the Traumazine artist told ELLE's May cover issue that she doesn't want to call herself a victim; rather, she views herself "as a survivor."
"I have truly survived the unimaginable. 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 said, referencing the wave of backlash from peers and fans alike after coming forward with her accusations. "For years, my attacker tried to leverage social media to take away my power. Imagine how it feels to be called a liar every day? Especially from a person who was once part of your inner circle."
The GRAMMY winner shared that she wishes she could have handled everything privately but felt her hand was forced by Lanez. "...Once my attacker made it public, everything changed. By the time I identified my attacker, I was completely drained. Many thought I was inexplicably healed because I was still smiling through the pain, still posting on social media, still performing, still dancing, and still releasing music," she recounted, admitting that despite what she posted on social media, she had begun falling into "a depression."
She revealed, "I was in such a low place that I didn't even know what I wanted to rap about. I wondered if people even cared anymore. There would be times that I'd literally be backstage or in my hotel, crying my eyes out, and then I'd have to pull Megan Pete together and be Megan Thee Stallion."
Although Megan called the jury's Dec. 23 conviction "vindication for me" and "a victory for every woman who has ever been been shamed, dismissed and blamed for a violent crime committed against them," she shared that the experience shed even more light on why violence against women can be largely unreported.
"So many times, people looked at me and thought, 'You look strong. You're outspoken. You're tall. You don't look like somebody who needs to be saved.' They assumed that, per preconceived stigmas, 'I didn't fit the profile of a victim,' and that I didn't need support or protection," she reflected. "Time after time, women are bullied with backlash for speaking out against their attackers, especially when they're accusing someone who is famous and wealthy... Any support and empathy that I received was drowned out by overwhelming doubt and criticism from so many others."
Read more about the case against Lanez below.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential.
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