Megan Thee Stallion has called out her music peers for their lack of support following the Tory Lanez shooting that led to his guilty verdict.
In her first (and final) interview since Tory was found guilty in December, the Houston Hottie opened up to ELLE about the two-and-a-half-year ordeal in a powerful op-ed published on Tuesday (April 18).
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“For years, my attacker laughed and joked about my trauma. For years, my attacker peddled false narratives about what happened on the night of July 12, 2020. For years, my attacker tried to leverage social media to take away my power,” Megan said.
“Imagine how it feels to be called a liar every day? Especially from a person who was once part of your inner circle.”
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She continued: “I could have let the adversity break me, but I persevered, even as people treated my trauma like a running joke. First, there were conspiracy theories that I was never shot. Then came the false narratives that my former best friend shot me.
“Even some of my peers in the music industry piled on with memes, jokes, and sneak disses, and completely ignored the fact that I could have lost my life. Instead of condemning any form of violence against a woman, these individuals tried to justify my attacker’s actions.”
Notable rappers who attempted to downplay the shooting include Drake, Joe Budden and 50 Cent.
“This bitch lie about getting shots, but she still she a stallion/ She don’t even get the joke, but she still smiling,” Drizzy rapped on last year’s “Circo Loco,” which many interpreted as him casting doubt on Megan Thee Stallion’s allegations.
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Budden expressed his disdain for the “Savage” rapper on his eponymous podcast in December, shortly after Tory Lanez’s felony assault trial got underway. “I got some theories. But what I can say is I’m finished with these n-ggas and I don’t like that girl,” he said.
50, meanwhile, made light of the shooting by posting a series of ruthless memes on Instagram, and later compared Megan to actor Jussie Smollett, who was infamously convicted of staging a hate crime.
Budden and 50 have both since issuedapologies to Megan.
The 28-year-old also revealed in her ELLE interview that she fell into a state of depression following the shooting and didn’t even want to rap anymore.
“By the time I identified my attacker, I was completely drained,” she admitted. “Many thought I was inexplicably healed because I was still smiling through the pain, still posting on social media, still performing, still dancing, and still releasing music.
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“The truth is that I started falling into a depression. I didn’t feel like making music. I was in such a low place that I didn’t even know what I wanted to rap about. I wondered if people even cared anymore. There would be times that I’d literally be backstage or in my hotel, crying my eyes out, and then I’d have to pull Megan Pete together and be Megan Thee Stallion.”
Megan Thee Stallion went on to call Tory’s guilty verdict a “victory” for abused women everywhere, and revealed she’s been working on new music while building herself back up.
“This is a rebirth of a happier and healthier me. I’m a survivor and I have — and will continue — to embrace the highs and lows of my journey,” Meg explained. “I’m excited to get back into music, because I have been so transformed. I’m playing around with new songs and new sounds that I can’t wait for everyone to hear.”
Lanez was found guilty on all counts of shooting Megan in the feet during a drunken dispute in July 2020 following a high-profile two-week trial in Los Angeles in December.
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The Sorry 4 What artist faces up to 22 years and eight months in prison, as well as subsequent deportation to his native Canada.
Lanez’s sentencing was delayed once again on Monday (April 17) as his attorneys plan to file a supplemental response to their motion for a new trial, which they filed last month.
