Tory Lanez, the Canadian rapper who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the foot in 2020, has broken his silence on Instagram and declared that he won’t apologize for something he didn’t do. Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, wrote a letter to his fans on Thursday, saying that he has always maintained his innocence and that he will continue to fight for his freedom.
“I have never let a hard time intimidate me. I will never never let no jail time eliminate me. Regardless of how they try to spin my words, I have always maintained my innocence and I always will,” he wrote. “This week in court I took responsibility for all verbal and intimate moments that I shared with the parties involved. … That’s it. In no way shape or form was I apologizing for the charges I’m being wrongfully convicted of. I remain on the stance that I refuse to apologize for something that I did not do.”
Lanez was convicted in December of three felonies: assault with a semi-automatic firearm, discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, and having a concealed firearm in a vehicle. The shooting occurred after Lanez, Megan Thee Stallion (real name: Megan Pete) and their friend Kelsey Harris left a party at Kylie Jenner’s Hollywood home. According to prosecutors, Meg exited the vehicle and Lanez shot at her feet while shouting, “Dance, bi—!”
Lanez asks for leniency and claims to care about Megan
Lanez addressed the court on Tuesday before the judge handed down his decision, asking for leniency and for a sentence that would allow him to “prove” himself. “I’m standing in front of you as a father to a six-year-old who needs me every step of the way,” Lanez told Judge David Herriford. “There’s been this misconception about me being this monster, not having remorse, that’s just not true,” he said. “That night, everyone was drunk, I said things I shouldn’t have said. The victim was my friend, I still care about her. We both lost mothers, we’d sit there and drink until we felt numb. Everything I did wrong that night I take responsibility for.”
However, Megan Thee Stallion has repeatedly accused Lanez of lying and trying to cover up the truth. She testified in court that Lanez offered her money to keep quiet about the shooting and threatened her with violence if she spoke out. She also said that Lanez’s apology was insincere and self-serving. “He’s not sorry for shooting me, he’s sorry for getting caught,” she said.
Fans and celebrities react to Lanez’s statement and sentence
Lanez’s statement on Instagram received mixed reactions from his fans and followers. Some expressed their support and sympathy for him, while others criticized him for being delusional and disrespectful. Some also questioned why he waited so long to speak out and why he didn’t take a plea deal that could have reduced his sentence.
Meanwhile, several celebrities have also weighed in on the case and shared their opinions on social media. Rapper DaBaby, who collaborated with Lanez on a remix of his song “SKAT” despite Megan’s objections, tweeted that he was praying for Lanez and hoped he would be released soon. Singer Kehlani, who removed Lanez from her song “Can I” after the shooting, posted a cryptic message on her Instagram story that read: “Karma is not revenge, it’s justice.” Actress Gabrielle Union, who is married to former NBA star Dwyane Wade, tweeted a link to an article about Lanez’s sentence and added: “Justice for Megan Thee Stallion.”