Three years after he shot Megan Thee Stallion in the foot, rapper Tory Lanez has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Ahead of the Tuesday sentencing, Rolling Stone reported that prosecutors read aloud a statement prepared by Megan, who was not present in court. Her emotional message described the trauma she endured after being shot by Lanez, who was found guilty last December.
“I struggle with being present. After everything that occurred I cannot bring myself back to being in the same room with Tory,” Megan wrote in her statement, which was read by Los Angeles County deputy district attorney Kathy Ta. “I’ve been tormented and terrorized.”
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“He paid bloggers to disseminate false information, he treated my trauma like a joke when I could’ve been dead,” she continued. “He blamed the system, he blamed the press, and as of late he is using his childhood trauma to justify his actions.”
Megan concluded the statement: “Slowly but surely, I’m healing. But I’ll never be the same. His crime warrants the full weight of the law.”
Since his conviction, Lanez has been serving time in jail. He faced up to 22 years in prison.
The “Body” rapper talked about getting through the highly publicized attack in Elle’s May 2023 cover story.
“I don’t want to call myself a victim. As I reflect on the past three years, I view myself as a survivor, because I have truly survived the unimaginable,” she said at the time. “Not only did I survive being shot by someone I trusted and considered a close friend, but I overcame the public humiliation of having my name and reputation dragged through the mud by that individual for the entire world to see.”
Of Lanez’s conviction, Megan said, “When the guilty verdict came on December 23, 2022, it was more than just vindication for me, it was a victory for every woman who has ever been shamed, dismissed, and blamed for a violent crime committed against them.”
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As an associate editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, Chelsey keeps a finger on the pulse on all things celeb news. She also writes on social movements, connecting with activists leading the fight on workers’ rights, climate justice, and more. Offline, she’s probably spending too much time on TikTok, rewatching Emma (the 2020 version, of course), or buying yet another corset.