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Megan Thee Stallion's Lawyer Denies Claims of New Evidence in Tory Lanez Shooting Case

The nonprofit organization Unite the People held a press conference yesterday with new claims that Kelsey Harris' bodyguard overheard her say that she fired the gun, not Lanez.

Tory Lanez performs onstage during 2018 V-103 Winterfest at State Farm Arena on Dec. 15 in Atlanta.
Tory Lanez performs onstage during 2018 V-103 Winterfest at State Farm Arena on Dec. 15 in Atlanta.
Paras Griffin/GI

New developments continue to roll in regarding the Megan Thee Stallion and Tory Lanez case.

Megan Thee Stallion's team have responded to new allegations made by the incarcerated Toronto rapper's legal team this week (May 14) regarding the shooting case for which Lanez is currently serving a ten-year prison sentence in Los Angeles for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the foot in 2020.


The Los Angeles nonprofit social justice organization Unite the People, which currently represents the rapper, hosted a press conference on Wednesday where attorney Walter Roberts presented new claims surrounding the case. Kelsey Harris' bodyguard Bradley James filed an affidavit in which he allegedly overheard Harris say that she fired the gun, and not Lanez (real name: Daystar Peterson).

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“[Harris] fired at [Megan] three times. Mr. Peterson grabbed her arm and knocked it down, and the gun fired two more times," Roberts claimed. "In essence, Mr. Peterson never shot anybody. Never even touched the gun. He never fired the gun. This statement aligns with the statement of the only non-party witness to the case, Mr. Sean Kelly, who at trial testified he saw two women fighting."

Megan Thee Stallion's lawyer Alex Spiro has since refuted these claims in a statement to XXL, citing the full legal process that led up to the rapper's conviction.

"Tory Lanez was tried and convicted by a jury of his peers and his case was properly adjudicated through the court system. This is not a political matter — this is a case of a violent assault that was resolved in the court of law," the statement reads.

The press conference comes after the rapper was reportedly the victim of a stabbing in prison earlier this week (May 12). According to Lanez's team via Instagram, he was stabbed a total of 14 times, sustaining injuries to his back, torso, the back of his head and the side of his face, as well as two collapsed lungs. He is currently breathing on his own and continues to recover in the hospital.

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Local authorities have named 42-year-old inmate Santino Casio, who is currently serving a life sentence for murder charges, as a suspect, according to local Los Angeles news.

Harris, who is Megan's former friend, was reportedly present during the incident and played an important role in the case. Both women were unknowingly romantically involved with Lanez simultaneously, which fuelled the argument that led up to the shooting. Despite initially claiming that Lanez had threatened her with a gun, Harris used her fifth amendment rights to avoid answering multiple questions while testifying.

Lanez was later convicted on three counts of felony assault in August 2023.

Billboard has reached out to Megan Thee Stallion’s rep and Unite the People for comment.

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U.S. Girls
Colin Medley

U.S. Girls

FYI

New & Upcoming Album Releases: U.S. Girls Delivers 'Scratch It,' Aysanabee Releases 'Edge of the Earth'

This week also sees new releases from Punjabi artist Sultaan, Montreal indie pop artist Meggie Lennon and more.

The summer album release calendar is heading up.

Toronto singer-songwriter Meg Remy, aka U.S. Girls, a critical favourite and Polaris Prize shortlister is releasing her new album Scratch It this week. She recruited a strong group of Nashville players including Dillon Watson (D. Watusi, Savoy Motel), Jack Lawrence (The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs, Loretta Lynn), Domo Donoho on drums and harmonica legend Charlie McCoy (Elvis, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison). In just ten days, Remy and the band recorded Scratch It live off the floor with minimal overdubs, mixed to tape, old-school style. It's a max of country, gospel, garage rock, soul, disco, folk and more.

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