Tory Lanez has not endeared himself to the public over the last two years. The Canadian singer was accused of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in 2020, and rather than let the scandal blow over, he decided to launch a smear campaign against the rapper that led to her filing criminal charges.
A verdict was reached, and Lanez, born Daystar Peterson, was found guilty on all three charges: assault with a semiautomatic handgun, having a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and gross negligence in discharging his firearm. The singer was reportedly sentenced to 10 years in prison without the possibility of parole. He’s currently 31.
Lanez’s courtroom reaction was well documented by NBC News, who claimed that the singer apologized for his actions shortly before his sentencing was decided. “If I could change it, I would, but I can’t,” he said. “Everything I did that night, I take full responsibility,” he added. “I truly am just trying to be a better person.” This regret seems to have evaporated, however, as Lanez took to Instagram to air out his thoughts on the case and clarify what he was sorry for and what he wasn’t sorry for.
“This week in court I took responsibility for all verbal and intimate moments that I shared with the parties involved,” he wrote. “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 also promised that he refuses to “stop fighting” until he comes out “victorious.”
This checks out with Lanez’s general approach to the shooting. He pleaded not guilty to all three charges that were brought against him, and he even released an album, Daystar (2020), detailing his side of the story. The album was derided by fans, and many critics refused to review it as a means of condemning its overall message.
The song “Money Over Fallouts” was especially criticized, as the lyrics imply that Megan Thee Stallion is fabricating the events that led to her being shot, and gaslighting her fans by making Lanez out to be the villain. Unsurprisingly, Daystar sold poorly. It was the lowest-charting album of Lanez’s career and failed to spawn any hit singles.
In the aforementioned Instagram post, Lanez insists that he is innocent, and assures fans that a prison sentence will not deter his spirit. “I have never let a hard time intimidate me, I will never let no jail eliminate me,” he wrote. “Regardless of how they try to spin my words, I have always maintained my innocence and I always will.”
Conversely, Megan Thee Stallion feels her victory is a victory for women everywhere. “When the guilty verdict came on Dec. 23, 2022, it was more than just vindication for me, it was a victory for every woman who has ever been shamed, dismissed, and blamed for a violent crime committed against them,” she wrote in Elle.