LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Following rapper Tory Lanez's 10-year prison sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the feet, Raina Chassagne, the mother of Lanez's six-year-old son, was spotted crying outside the court. Friends comforted her by her car.
During the sentencing hearing, Chassagne emotionally asked for a lighter sentence, describing Lanez as ambitious and trusting. Chassagne spoke about Lanez's commitment as a father during the sentencing, as per Daily Mail.
Chassagne appealed to the judge to show leniency, hoping to interrupt the cycle of Black fathers being imprisoned and thus separated from their children. Despite her efforts, the plea did not sway the decision. Lanez was ultimately sentenced to ten years in prison.
Who is Raina Chassagne?
Raina Chassagne is the mother of Tory Lanez's six-year-old son, Kai. The details about how Chassagne and Lanez met, as well as the dynamics of their co-parenting relationship, remain unclear up to this point.
The public does not have specific information regarding their history and how they have managed their co-parenting responsibilities. During the trial held in December, Lanez arrived at the court while holding his son Kai. Exiting the car they had traveled in, Lanez lifted the boy into his arms.
Lanez was observed adjusting the boy's suit before they both entered the courtroom together. At the end of the court proceedings, Lanez carried his son out, stating, "He is my support system and I'm his too."
'My child needs me'
The conclusion of the trial marks the resolution of a highly dramatic legal case that stirred controversy within the hip-hop community.
Lanez, donning a black skull cap, stood in his orange prison overalls, handcuffed, as Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Herriford delivered the sentence. Despite the defense's request for probation, the judge denied this plea.
Before receiving the 10-year sentence, Lanez pleaded with the judge, appealing not to be sent to jail. The musician said, "Give me some sort of alternative that is not prison. I can be a much better man in my community. I’m not standing before you as a celebrity."
He further said, "I stand here as a genuine person who wants a chance. My child needs me - I want to better myself."
'I want to be a better person'
Lanez continued, "I want a chance to show the world that the man you see here today is not the real me. I’m not expecting preferential treatment. But, your honor I’m genuinely asking you with my heart to put me to the test, to give me an opportunity."
He then added, "There have been these misconceptions about me being this monster, of not having remorse. But that’s just not true."
Apologizing, Lanez said, "That night, everybody was drunk, I said some very immature things…I was wrong. If I could turn back the clock I would….I apologize. Everything I did that night I take responsibility for."
Asking for a chance, he concluded, "I ask you for the chance to be a better father, a better mentor. I’m asking you not to judge me just on this case, but on the full scope of my life. I do have a habitual disorder - I want to be a better person."
