Lanez took to Instagram on Thursday to release a statement thanking his fans and vowing to fight his conviction.
Tory Lanez is speaking out about his recent sentencing in his felony assault trial for shooting Megan Thee Stallion.
The Canadian-born rapper -- who was born Daystar Peterson -- took to Instagram on Thursday evening with a message for his fans and supporters, in which he claimed he was wrongly convicted and stressed that he will be working to clear his name.
"I have never let a hard time intimidate me. I will never never let no jail time eliminate me. Regardless of how they try to spin my words, I have always maintained my innocence and I always will," Lanez wrote in a statement. "This week in court, I took responsibility for all verbal and intimate moments that I shared with the parties involved... That's it."
"In no way shape or form was I apologizing for the charges I'm being wrongfully convicted of," he added. "I remain on the stance that I refuse to apologize for something that I did not do."
On Tuesday, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Herriford sentenced Lanez to 10 years in prison. Lanez has 60 days to file his notice of appeal.
Lanez 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. Lanez spoke during the hearing, and said how Megan is "someone I still care for dearly to this day."
Lanez also told the court that he shared a connection with Megan, stating, "We both lost our mothers. We would sit there and drink, and drink until we got numb."
"As a celebrity I’ve made mistakes but, Your Honor, I’m not standing in front of you as a celebrity but as someone asking for a chance," Lanez implored the judge.
"A common misconception is that I have no remorse, which is not true," Lanez said. "Everything I did wrong that night I take full responsibility for. I will do better."
In his Instagram statement on Thursday, Lanez expressed his belief that he will eventually be exonerated.
"I've faced adversity my whole life and every time it looked like I would lose, I came out on top. This is nothing but another moment where my back is against the wall and I refuse to stop fighting till come out victorious," he wrote. "Tough times don't last, tough people do."
Lanez captioned the statement post, "Through Good Times and Bad Times … Stay Strong … I’ll See You All Soon."
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón released a statement on Tuesday, following the sentencing, that expressed contentment with the decision and praised Megan -- whose real name is Megan Pete.
"Over the past three years, Mr. Peterson has engaged in a pattern of conduct that was intended to intimidate Ms. Pete. and silence her truths from being heard," the statement shared. "Women, especially Black women, are afraid to report crimes like assault because they are too often not believed."
"I commend Megan Pete for her incredible bravery and vulnerability as she underwent months of probing investigation and court appearances where she had to relive her trauma, and the public scrutiny that followed," Gascón's statement continued. "This case highlighted the numerous ways that our society must do better for women."
Megan did not appear in court during the sentencing. Instead, the Traumazine rapper submitted an impact statement that was read by the prosecution. "Since I was viciously shot by the defendant, I have not experienced a single day of peace," Megan said in a statement read by Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Kathy Ta. "Slowly but surely, I'm healing and coming back, but I will never be the same."
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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