A Los Angeles jury on Friday (December 23) found rapper Tory Lanez guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in a July 2020 altercation in the Hollywood Hills.
The 30-year-old Canadian native, who was wearing a powder pink pants, a white turtleneck, and a longish jacket was remanded on the spot, and taken into custody after the verdict was announced about 3:15 p.m. in Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Herriford‘s courtroom.
In reaction to the verdict, Lanez’s father, Sonstar Peterson stood up and screamed at the prosecutors yelling, “This is a wicked system!” per Law and Crime senior reporter Meghann Cuniff, who was present at the trial. Lanez’s stepmother and father also blasted Jay-Z and Megan Thee Stallion’s management Roc Nation, with one woman calling Jay-Z a “b-tch.”
In more viral videos from outside the courtroom, Lanez’s family can be heard hauling abuses at Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Roc Nation for their alleged contributions or lack of, in Tory Lanez’s sentence.
“I just stood here in this Los Angeles and witnessed the worst miscarriage of justice that this world has ever seen. You want to know how I feel, I’ll tell you exactly how I feel,” Sonstar told reporters.
“I got some names that I wanna call. Alex Spiro [Megan’s attorney], Desiree Perez [the COO of Roc Nation] and the whole wicked system of Roc Nation, including you Jay-Z,”Tory Lanez’s father said to the agreement of his family.
“You who say you rose from the gutter, but you have traded, and bartered the souls of young men, and you’re still doing it.”
In another clip, Tory Lanez’s stepmom directly calls out Beyoncé and Jay-Z, screaming “You have children! You’re making other people’s children go to jail, you have kids. God is watching,” she said. Lanez’s father, in anger, also promised Roc Nation will crumble. “I call heaven, and earth to be on record today that Roc Nation, you will crumble. I am an apostle of God and you will know who I am.”
It’s unclear what role Jay-Z or Roc Nation may have played in the outcome of the trial, but readers should note that Megan Thee Stallion has a management deal with the Jay-Z-founded company.
As previously covered on Rap Aesthetics, Tory Lanez whose legal name is Daystar Peterson was originally arrested in 2020 for allegedly shooting Megan Thee Stallion on the foot as she exited an Escalade in the Hollywood Hills on July 12, 2020, after leaving a pool party at reality star Kylie Jenner‘s house.
Tory Lanez, who opted not to testify faces up to 22 years in prison. Sentencing will take place on January 7, 2023.
“We are shocked by the verdict. There was not sufficient evidence to convict Mr. Peterson. We believe this case was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt. We will be exploring all options including an appeal,” Lanez’s defense lawyer George Mgdesyan said in a statement
Tory’s family alleges the trial was one-sided and that a lot of evidence was buried in the case. “I know exactly what the public out here will say. You will say, I say this because I’m a father. See, I am a father of thousands around the world. I am a father of my kids, but a spiritual father to many and I don’t make stupid allegations.”
“You all have been trading the souls of young Black and Brown men in this country,” he added, before calling on “all the umbrellas” to rise up and fight for their freedom.
The Canadian rapper/singer’s stepmom says the case isn’t over, which could mean they plan on filing an appeal.
