LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Tory Lanez, 31, the renowned rapper, has refused to back down in the face of his sentencing for the shooting of fellow artist Megan Thee Stallion, 28, in 2020.
Just two days after being sentenced to 10 years in prison for the incident, Lanez took to Instagram to address the charges against him on Thursday, August 10.
The shooting incident occurred in July 2020 at a party hosted by Kylie Jenner. Lanez reportedly fired a gun at the back of Megan's feet, leading to a confrontation.
The incident resulted in Lanez's conviction on charges including assault, firearm-related offenses, and gross negligence in discharging a firearm in December.
Did Tory Lanez apologize to Megan Thee Stallion?
Lanez, 31, maintained his stance of innocence, despite the verdict that found him guilty of three felonies related to the shooting incident. He boldly stated, "I refuse to apologize for something that I did not do."
Born as Daystar Peterson, Lanez spoke out against the conviction, making it clear that he would not "apologize for the charges I’m being wrongfully convicted of."
Lanez further conveyed, “I have never let a hard time intimidate me. I will never never let no jail time eliminate me,” 'The Color Violet' rapper stated in a lengthy Instagram statement.
“Regardless of how they try to spin my words, I have always maintained my innocence and I always will.” He continued, “This week in court I took responsibility for all verbal and intimate moments that I shared with the parties involved… that’s it,” reported New York Post.
“In no way shape or form was I apologizing for the charges I’m being wrongfully convicted of. I remain on the stance that I refuse to apologize for something that I did not do,” Lanez added.
The 'Say It' rapper continued that he’s always “faced adversity my whole life” and that his sentence is “nothing but another moment where my back is against the wall and I refuse to stop fighting till I come out victorious.”
“Tough times don’t last, tough people do,” he stated before signing off with a “thank you” to his supporters. During his sentencing hearing, Lanez opened up about his relationship with Megan, acknowledging their shared struggles, including the loss of their mothers.
He expressed regret for his behavior that night and for the aftermath, admitting to making immature statements and revealing secrets. He emphasized that he took full responsibility for his wrongdoings.
'The victim is someone I still care for to this day!'
During his sentencing hearing on Thursday, Lanez opened up about his relationship with Megan, stating she is “someone I still care for dearly to this day.”
He acknowledged their shared struggles and said, "We both lost our mothers. We would sit there and drink, and drink until we got numb."
Furthermore, he asserted, “I said some very immature things that I shouldn’t have said. I revealed some secrets I shouldn’t have revealed. If I could turn back the series of events that night and change them, I would,” Lanez continued.
“The victim was my friend. The victim is someone I still care for to this day. Everything I did wrong that night, I take full responsibility for.”
Despite his legal team's intention to appeal the sentence and conviction, Lanez's lead attorney, Jose Baez, criticized the severity of the sentence and raised concerns about the impact of celebrity status on legal outcomes.
Baez expressed, "We’re extremely disappointed. I have seen vehicular homicide and other cases where there’s death, and the defendant still gets less than 10 years.”
Baez called the sentence “really just another example of someone being punished for their celebrity status and someone being utilized to set an example. And he’s not an example. He’s a human being.”
'He made a mockery of my trauma!'
In response to Lanez's conviction, Megan, whose real name is Megan Pete, expressed her gratitude to the district attorney's office for standing by her. “Every day, I think of others across the world, or victims of violence, and survivors,” her statement said. “It is truly the most powerless feeling, especially when you question whether the justice system can truly protect you.”
“Fortunately, the district attorney’s office fought for me. I’m incredibly grateful to them and the jury for the attention to the evidence and siding with the truth. But if it can happen to me, imagine those who lack the resources and support systems,” she concluded.
Megan's statement also shed light on the emotional toll the incident had taken on her mental health. She discussed the depression she experienced following the shooting, exacerbated by the public scrutiny and disparaging remarks she faced.
“He [Lanez] not only shot me, he made a mockery of my trauma. He tried to position himself as a victim and set out to destroy my character and my soul,” Megan wrote in her statement.
“He lied to anyone that would listen and paid bloggers to disseminate false information about the case on social media. He released music videos and songs to damage my character and continue his crusade.”
Megan further claimed: “At first, he tried to deny the shooting ever happened. Then, he attempted to place the blame on my former best friend. In his tantrum of lies, he’s blamed the system, blamed the press and, as of late, he’s using his childhood trauma to shield himself and avoid culpability.”
