Source: Jason Armond / Getty
The Tory Lanez shooting trial kicked off on Dec. 12, with several shocking allegations that have rattled the courtroom over the last three days. Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, is being charged for the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion. If convicted, the rapper could face up to 23 years in prison.
During Monday’s court session, attornies for the 30-year-old Toronto rapper and Megan’s law team gave compelling opening statements to the courtroom. The trial revved up on Tuesday and Wednesday when Meg and her former best friend Kelsey Nicole Harris took to the stand with different accounts of what happened before the alleged shooting.
Here’s where the case stands so far.
Source: Jason Armond / Getty
DAY 1 – Prosecutors deliver opening statements
- The trial began on Monday (Dec. 12) with opening statements from prosecutors. Lawyers for Meg claimed that Tory Lanez shot her five times after they left a pool party at Kylie Jenner’s home in the Hollywood Hills in July 2020, TMZ noted. The “Hot Girl” summer hitmaker suffered from gunshot wounds in both her feet. Both sides maintained that Kelsey Nicole, Megan’s former best friend, was also present at the time of the incident.
- During the fiery courtroom session, prosecutors said the trio entered a black SUV with a man named Jauquan Smith after they left the party. Smith drove Tory to the event and brought a 9mm handgun.
- Further along during opening statements, prosecutors alleged that the harrowing attack occurred after Meg insulted Lanez about his musical skills as they were arguing in the car. After dissing Lanez, Meg asked to be let out of the vehicle. According to the prosecution, Jauquan pulled over to let Meg and her ex-bestie Kelsey exit, and that’s when Tory allegedly fired the gun, shouting “dance b-tch” as he pulled the trigger.
- Lanez’s defense team argued that he did not pull the trigger. In fact, they suggested that Meg’s ex-friend Kelsey fired the gun. George Mgdesyan, Lanez’s attorney, said that Kelsey and Meg blew up in a jealousy-fueled rage shortly before the shooting occurred. He alleged that the argument stemmed from Meg “stealing” Harris’s boyfriends in the past. Mgdesyan questioned the Houston femcee’s dating history, noting how she was once romantically linked to celebs like DaBaby and basketball player Ben Simmons. He also claimed Tory and Megan were in a sexual relationship during the incident.
- Additionally, Mgdesyan argued that Tory’s DNA wasn’t on the gun. He said the rapper was wearing swim trunks during the time of the incident, arguing that he had no wear to store the gun in question. He also argued that Tory only tested positive for gunshot residue because he tried to take the gun away from Kelsey, Buzzfeed reported. Tory tested positive for gunshot residue when investigators inspected the firearm. Kelsey and three other people at the scene also tested positive.
Source: Jason Armond / Getty
DAY 2 – Megan Thee Stallion takes the stand
- Megan Thee Stallion took to the stand on Wednesday (Dec. 13) with a number of eyebrow-raising statements regarding the events that transpired before and after the shooting. Before diving into her testimony, the “WAP” rapper tearfully described how her life has changed since her assault story went viral. “I can’t even be happy,” the star told Deputy District Attorney Kathy Ta, struggling to hold back tears, according to NPR. “I can’t hold conversations with people for a long time. I don’t feel like I want to be on this earth. I wish he would have just shot and killed me if I knew I would have to go through this torture.”
- Megan testified that Lanez shot at both of her feet shortly after they began feuding. The argument started as they were driving home from a pool party in the Hollywood Hills in the wee hours of July 12, 2020. Meg admitted to having a sexual relationship with Tory at the time–something she denied during her CBS interview with Gayle King in April. Meg hid the status of her non-exclusive relationship with Lanez in order to maintain her friendship with Kelsey, who had a “crush on” Tory at the time. When asked why she lied about the nature of her relationship with Lanez, Megan told the courtroom, “because it’s disgusting at this point. How could I share my body with someone who could do this to me?”
- According to the Hip-Hop star, she and Lanez began arguing in the vehicle after he revealed their relationship to Harris, who had no clue that they were intimate with one another at the time. As previously reported, the “Hot Girl Summer” hitmaker alleged that Lanez exposed their intimacy to cause tension between her and her ex-friend Harris. According to Meg, the tension in the car escalated after Lanez began hurling insults at her and Kelsey, calling them “b*tches and h*es.” When she asked to be let out of the vehicle, Lanez allegedly opened fire, shooting five rounds at both of her feet.
- The rapper said she kept her head down throughout the entire incident, fearful of what would happen next. As blood began steaming down both of her feet, Megan dragged herself into a nearby driveway to seek refuge, but when police arrived at the scene, she became frantic as she feared they might also shoot her. The rapper also added that she did not see Harris while she was laying on the ground in the driveway.
- During cross-examination with Lanez’s attorney, George Mgdesyan grilled Megan as to why she lied about her relationship with Lanez. She said she was embarrassed about their relationship. She also said their intimacy has since impacted her relationship with her current boyfriend Pardison Fontaine. “I feel disgusted, I feel dirty, my own partner is embarrassed,” Megan added.
- After the shooting, Megan alleged that Lanez offered her and Harris $1 million in hush money to stay silent about the incident.
DAY 3- Meg’s former friend Kelsey Nicole Harris pleads the fifth during testimony
- Harris, a witness in the investigation, took to the stand on Dec. 14, but the 27-year-old influencer was mum regarding the details of the shooting. Before testifying, Harris invoked her fifth amendment right, protecting herself against self-incrimination, Variety reported. She was also granted immunity — a common legal tactic that protects a witness from having the prosecution use their statements or any evidence discovered from their account against them.
- During questioning with Deputy District Attorney Kathy Ta, Harris invoked her fifth amendment right when she was asked whether Lanez threatened to shoot her. Ta played a recording from a September interview that she conducted with Harris, where she alleged Lanez threatened to shoot her as they were driving in the vehicle. Harris confirmed that she made the claims during their September interview.
- Throughout her testimony, Harris said her memory of the alleged shooting was “blurry” because she, Tory and Meg were drinking throughout the night. The social media influencer confirmed that they were invited to a party at Kylie Jenner’s home in the Hollywood Hills. She said everyone was “having fun” at the event, but things took a turn when she noticed there was something “a little off” about Megan. According to Harris, Megan and Lanez began arguing shortly after the star caught him flirting with Kylie Jenner. Megan asked her to leave the party. The two left with Lanez’s driver but doubled back shortly after Meg realized that she had forgotten her “slipper” at Jenner’s house.
- Harris said that she, Meg and Lanez got into the car and that’s when the “argument that took place inside carried on,” but she refused to give more details about the events that transpired afterward. Further along in her testimony, Harris admitted to having an intimate relationship with Tory Lanez. She was “confused” and “upset” when Lanez revealed Megan had also slept with him during their argument. “I don’t know what’s going on,” she told the courtroom. “He’s just saying that they had a relationship, they were having a relationship. An argument ensues and just continues. Me and her are arguing about her disloyalty.” Harris denied taking hush money from Lanez. She also denied shooting Megan, calling the allegations “ridiculous.”
Kelsey is set to take the stand again today. HelloBeautiful will continue to give updates as the story unfolds.
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