Megan Thee Stallion has explained why she didn’t report Tory Lanez to police straight away after he allegedly shot her following an argument in July 2020.
The Houston rapper made her way to a Los Angeles courthouse on Tuesday (December 13) and took the stand in her felony shooting case against the Toronto rapper and singer.
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With support from demonstrators outside the courtroom, an emotional Megan faced prosecutors and upon being asked if she was nervous, she reportedly replied: “I just don’t feel good. I can’t believe I have to come up here and do this.”
During her testimony, per Los Angeles Times writer James Queally, Megan Thee Stallion recounted the entire altercation leading up to Lanez allegedly shooting her five times and telling her to “dance bitch.”
Eventually he lets her out of the car and MTS decribes the shooting as it has been in court and interviews before: Lanez yells "dance, bitch!" and fires 5 times, she says. "I'm in shock. I'm scared. I hear the gun going off. I can't believe he's shooting at me."
— James Queally (@JamesQueallyLAT) December 13, 2022
Towards the end of her time on the stand, the Grammy-winning rapper explained her decision to not immediately report Lanez to the Los Angeles Police Department during a vehicle stop on the same night of the July 2020 shooting.
“At this time we are at the height of police brutality… I felt if I said this man had shot me, they might shoot first and ask questions later,” she said not wanting to endanger Tory who she formerly had a relationship with.
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“I don’t feel safe in the car. I don’t feel safe with the police. First of all, in the Black community, in my community, it’s not really acceptable to be cooperating with police officers.”
The Houston native also felt she had to be silent as she worried about the impact of cooperating with police would have on her rap career.
She adds: "First of all in the Black community, in my community, it's not really acceptable to be cooperating with police officers."
— James Queally (@JamesQueallyLAT) December 13, 2022
Megan Thee Stallion also reportedly called the industry a “boy’s club” and brought up songs where Tory denied being the shooter and how Drake used slick wordplay on Her Loss‘ “Circo Loco” to possibly question Meg’s truthfulness.
“This whole situation in the industry is like a big boy’s club,” the “Hot Girl Summer” rapper claimed. “Like I’m telling on one of y’all friends, now you’re all about to hate me.”
The anticipated trial heard opening arguments on Monday (December 12) and Megan Thee Stallion is expected to be questioned by Tory’s legal team in the coming hours.
Last week, Tory (real name Daystar Peterson) was slapped with a third felony charge — discharging a firearm with gross negligence — adding to his two existing charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, both of which he has pleaded not guilty to.
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The trial is expected to last for approximately 10 days. If convicted, Lanez faces up to 22 years and eight months behind bars.
