Megan Thee Stallion took the stand in a Los Angeles, California courtroom on Tuesday to testify against Tory Lanez, who is accused of shooting her after a party in 2020.
The 27-year-old rapper, whose real name is Megan Pete, released an emotional statement accusing Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, of shooting him in the leg during the argument.
“I’m in shock. I’m scared. I hear the gun go off and I can’t believe he’s shooting at me,” the Grammy winner said of the incident Tuesday, according to court reporters.
Megan testified that she and the Canadian rapper, 30, were leaving a party at reality star Kylie Jenner’s home in July 2020 with a bodyguard and a friend when Lanez became upset that Megan asked him to leave party. He also revealed to the others in the car. that he and Megan had had casual sex, which led to the argument, he said. She then got out of the car and Lanez fired five shots that injured her legs, she testified.
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Lanez – who was charged with assault with a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm and negligent discharge of a firearm – has pleaded not guilty. In several songs he’s released since then, he says Megan and her crew tried to “set him up.” His trial began on Monday and is expected to end early next week. If convicted, he could spend nearly 23 years behind bars.
Megan spoke through tears Tuesday as she described the effect the entire ordeal had on her — from the alleged shooting to the anger toward her from Lanez fans.
“I can’t even be happy. I wish I would have shot myself and killed myself if I knew I had to endure this torture,” she said.
Rapper Drake was among those who appeared to publicly doubt Megan’s allegations, rapping in a newly released song: “This bitch lie to be shot but she still a gun.”
Megan also accused Lanez of offering her and her driver friend, Kelsey Harris, $1 million if they didn’t report the incident to police, who stopped the group on Hollywood Boulevard minutes later.
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Megan explained in her testimony Tuesday that she did not report the shooting to officers because she did not feel safe doing so.
“Right now, we’re at the height of police brutality,” he said, referring to the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd and other similar racially motivated deaths.
“I felt like if I said this man just shot me, he might have shot first and asked questions later. I don’t feel safe in the car. I don’t feel safe with police officers either,” she added, “in the black community, it’s really not acceptable to cooperate with police officers.”
Instead, he spoke to his accusers in an Instagram video a few weeks later, prompting Los Angeles prosecutors to indict Lanez in October.
Harris, Megan’s friend in the car, is also expected to testify and corroborate a text message she sent around the time of the incident saying, “Tory shot Meg,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
It is not yet known if Lanez will speak.
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