Canadian rapper Tory Lanez, who was found guilty of injuring fellow performer Megan Thee Stallion in 2020, received a 10-year prison term on Tuesday.
Last December, a jury in Los Angeles declared Lanez guilty of three offenses concerning the July 2020 incident involving rapper Stallion in the Hollywood Hills.
Lanez asserted his innocence to charges of assaulting with a semiautomatic weapon, having an unregistered loaded firearm in transportation, and recklessly firing a weapon, state the legal representatives. He was found guilty of all three allegations.
Stallion claimed that Lanez shot her foot after she left a vehicle they were in, after a disagreement.
In the media briefing after the sentencing on Tuesday, LA County District Attorney George Gascón outlined Lanez’s attempts to “silence” Stallion after her allegations of him causing her harm in 2020.
“Over the past three years, [Lanez] has engaged in a pattern of conduct that was intended to intimidate [Stallion], silence her and keep her from defending and bringing her truth out,” Gascón remarked.
“Despite the physical violence, verbal attacks and attempts at public humiliation, [Stallion] remained strong and shared the events of that fateful night with the jury and the world,” added the district attorney.
The prominence of Stallion in the entertainment world has cast a “light on the crucial topic of violence against females,” Gascón commented.
“There are many people in our community that endure acts of violence every day from people close to them and feel reluctant to come forward when this happens. I hope that [Stallion’s] bravery gives hope to those that feel helpless,” he expressed.
A portion of Stallion’s statement from the court on Monday was recited by Gascón: “Every day I think of others across the world who are victims of violence and survive. It’s the most powerless feeling, especially when you are unsure if justice system can protect you.”
“Fortunately, the district attorney’s office fought for me. I’m grateful to them and the jury for the attention to the evidence and siding with the truth. But if it can happen to me, think of those without the resources and support” Stallion said, as cited by the district attorney.
At the same press event, Lanez’s lawyer, Jose Baez, shared his perspective, deeming his client’s punishment “inordinately severe.”
“To get a ten-year sentence is extreme and just another example of someone being punished for their celebrity status and someone being utilized to send an example. And he’s not an example, he’s a human being,” Baez stated.
Lanez feels “profoundly disheartened and upset”, much like anyone would in light of such a verdict, Baez communicated.
Given the legal provisions, Lanez has the option for bail while awaiting an appeal, and thus, an appeal alongside a bail motion is on their agenda, Baez disclosed.
In April, the “Savage” artist delved into the matter in an essay for Elle. “As I reflect on the past three years, I view myself as a survivor, because I have truly survived the unimaginable,” she had penned.
She recounted not just surviving an attack from a trusted friend, but also overcame the “public disgrace where my identity and credibility were maligned by that person,” referencing to the post-incident social media campaign that falsely branded Stallion as a liar.
“The thought that I wouldn’t find believers never occurred to me,” she expressed, emphasizing that she was always confident that “unarguable truth and concrete evidence would triumph.”
