Rapper Tory Lanez released a statement on Wednesday claiming he was “wrongly convicted,” two days after being sentenced to 10 years in prison for the shooting death of rapper Megan Thee Stallion.
After a two-week trial in December, a Los Angeles jury found Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, guilty on all three counts: assault with a semi-automatic firearm; Carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle; and firing a firearm with gross negligence.
At his sentencing hearing Tuesday, the Canadian rapper said if he could “reverse and change the series of events that night,” he would do it.
“The victim was my friend. The victim is someone I still care about to this day,” Lanez added. “I take full responsibility for everything I did wrong that night.”
On Thursday, however, he clarified his sentencing remarks: “This week in court I accepted responsibility for all the verbal and intimate moments that I shared with the parties involved….” That’s it.”
“I have made no apology whatsoever for the allegations on which I was wrongly convicted. I continue to believe that I refuse to apologize for something I didn’t do,” he added.
The 31-year-old musician is accused of shooting Megan (birth name Megan Pete) in both feet in the Hollywood Hills area after leaving a party hosted by TV personality Kylie Jenner in July 2020.
Despite Lanez’s pleas of innocence, there were several devastating moments during the trial that likely led to his conviction.
Prosecutors presented multiple pieces of evidence that Lanez apologized after he was arrested by police the night of the shooting. In addition, the defense own witness testified that Lanez “shot everywhere.”
Kelsey Harris, Megan’s former friend and assistant, continued multiple occasions that Lanez shot Megan. (Although they refused to serve on the witness stand beyond repeatedly asserting their constitutional right to self-incrimination.)
Megan has accused Lanez of spreading misinformation and launching a hate campaign against her.
During the trial and in the years leading up to it, Lanez’s supporters, his attorney, bloggers and prominent hip-hop figures met tended to use misogynya specific kind of misogyny aimed at black women, at Megan.
“I’ll tell one of you all and now everyone’s going to hate me,” Megan told the court. “Every man in a position of power in the music industry has given me hell for the past three years.”
“I wish he would have just shot me if I knew I was going to go through this torture,” Megan added. “I was made to be the bad guy. He’s the bad guy.”