Black women often don’t report assault crimes because they are “not believed” — but Megan Thee Stallion refused to be silenced, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said.
Gascón released a statement praising the rapper, born Megan Pete, after fellow hip-hop star Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Tuesday, for shooting and injuring the “Savage” performer in 2020.
“Women, especially Black women, are afraid to report crimes like assault because they are too often not believed,” Gascón said. “I commend Megan Pete for her incredible bravery and vulnerability as she underwent months of probing investigation and court appearances where she had to relive her trauma, and the public scrutiny that followed.”
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The district attorney said Lanez — born Daystar Peterson — “engaged in a pattern of conduct that was intended to intimidate” Megan Thee Stallion, yet she persevered.
“This case highlighted the numerous ways that our society must do better for women,” Gascón said, while noting that the LAPD, prosecutors and the victim services rep in the case “spent countless hours working to ensure justice was served for Ms. Pete.”
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Herriford handed down the sentence after a two-day hearing.
Before Herriford announced how much time Lanez would spend in prison, the prosecution read a victim impact statement from Megan Thee Stallion.
“Since I was viciously shot by the defendant, I have not experienced a single day of peace,” the 28-year-old rapper wrote in her statement.
Dozens of people sent letters to the judge asking him to show Lanez leniency. The rapper’s father, Sonstar Peterson, appeared in court and made an emotional appeal to the judge. The elder Peterson said his son had a difficult childhood after losing his mother at age 11, “but his music became his outlet.”
Lanez was arrested after Megan Thee Stallion was shot in the feet following a party in the Hollywood Hills on July 12, 2020. The shooting occurred after Megan and her former best friend, Kelsey Harris, got into an SUV with Lanez and his bodyguard, and a dispute erupted.
The “It Doesn’t Matter” rapper maintained his innocence throughout the case.
Yet he was found guilty on Dec. 23, 2022, of three felony counts — assault with a semiautomatic firearm; discharging a firearm with gross negligence; and carrying a loaded unregistered firearm in a vehicle; along with the special allegation of using a firearm to inflict great bodily injury.
Following his conviction, he faced 22 years and eight months in prison and deportation. Instead, prosecutors asked for 13 years, while defense attorneys requested probation for the 31-year-old rapper.
Lanez’s sentencing was initially scheduled for Jan. 27, but the date was moved multiple times after he changed legal teams and filed a motion for a new trial.
