Journalist breaks down trial of Tory Lanez for shooting Megan Thee Stallion
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Canadian rapper Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Tuesday for shooting rapper Megan Thee Stallion, or Megan Pete, several times in the foot in 2020. In her testimony, Megan Thee Stallion claimed the two were arguing when he started shooting at her, telling her to dance.
Lanez was convicted of three felonies in December 2022: assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
Legal affairs journalist Meghann Cuniff who covered the case joined CBS 2's Brad Edwards on the stream to break down the high-profile case.
"Every single detail was important here, and that this was kind of the case, that you could empty your notebook on, and people would enjoy every detail of it," Cuniff said. Her Twitter feed is filled with threads detailing the trial since December 2022.
Cuniff has covered other high-profile cases, like that of actor Danny Masterson who was convicted of rape earlier this year, but she told CBS 2 nothing matches the level of attention the world had on the Tory Lanez trial.
"The intense interest online, and all the debate that happened over the last months before the trial especially," she said.
The shooting and the trial have highlighted the ongoing issue of sexism in the rap industry as well as misogynoir – a term coined by Northwestern University's Moya Bailey, a type of misogyny directed towards Black women.
According to The National Domestic Violence Hotline, 45% of Black women have experienced physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking from their intimate partner. In addition, the organization says that Black women are especially likely to be criminalized, prosecuted, and incarcerated while trying to navigate and survive the conditions of violence in their lives.
"As I reflect on the past three years, I view myself as a survivor because I have truly survived the unimaginable," Megan Thee Stallion wrote in her Elle op-ed.
In addition to Lanez, his fans and other high-profile rappers, like 50 Cent and DJ Akademics, publicly humiliated her and said that she was lying about ever being shot. In Lanez's 2020 'Daystar' album, he raps, "How the f--- you get shot in your foot / don't hit no bones or tendons." In another example, in Drake's song 'Circo Loco,' he raps, "This b****h lie 'bout getting shots, but she still a stallion"
"What's significant is that Judge Hereford, when sentencing Tori Lanes, did say that he thought the online social media post, the song lyrics, everything that he's done to Megan in the years since the shooting was a major aggravating factor in the sentence," Cuniff told CBS 2. "He made that clear that he thought that was very relevant. And I think that speaks to the harassment that Megan has faced online, the harassment that other women face online."
"Women, especially Black women, are afraid to report crimes like assault because they are too often not believed. I commend Megan Pete for her incredible bravery and vulnerability," Los Angeles County District Attorney Geroge Gascón said in a press conference on Wednesday. "This case highlighted the numerous ways that our society must do better for women."
Lanez is expected to request bail pending appeal, which will be heard on August 15. Cuniff said this is extremely unlikely to be granted.
