Rapper Tory Lanez has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, ending one of the most high-profile, contentious court cases involving two celebrities in recent history. Lanez was found guilty in December 2022 for his role in the July 2020 shooting, and faced more than 22 years and potential deportation as a Canadian national.
In May, Lanez’s legal team was denied a new trial by a Los Angeles judge. The appeal hinged around evidence that Lanez’s lawyers claimed should not have been admitted into the trial, but Judge David Herriford ruled that even if the evidence in question was omitted, it would not have made a meaningful difference in the proceedings. Lanez faced a myriad of charges related to the Los Angeles incident, including assault with a semi-automatic weapon, but maintained his innocence publicly. Lanez pleaded not guilty to all of his charges, and recently his legal team advocated for him to be placed on probation and counseling to address his use of alcohol.
Megan did not attend the sentencing but shared a statement that read: “Since I was viciously shot by the defendant, I have not experienced a single day of peace. Slowly but surely, I’m healing and coming back, but I will never be the same.”
The shooting took place after the rappers attended a party at Kylie Jenner’s house, with Megan, later being hospitalized due to foot injuries. At the time, she did not state explicitly that she had been shot, but in August 2020 Instagram Live Megan asserted that Lanez had shot her, though by then countless rumors had spread through blogs and social media that questioned Megan’s credibility as well as the nature of the relationship between her and Lanez.
Megan has spoken about the trauma that followed the Hollywood Hills shooting, as well as the way she has been criticized by those who support Lanez. Megan testified at Lanez’s trial, claiming that he offered her one million dollars for her silence.
Lanez has managed a successful career as an independent artist in the wake of the shooting, even addressing the situation on a few choice songs. Megan remains one of rap’s most charismatic young stars, though she hasn’t released music since her 2022 sophomore LP Traumazine last August. She’s slated to make her feature film debut in Larry Charles’ Dicks: The Musical, and has several festival performances lined up for this summer.