Megan Thee Stallion,Tory Lanez, the Ongoing Struggles of Black Women Seeking Justice
By Nia Mclean
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
On December 23, 2022, the Los Angeles County Superior Court ended a longstanding legal battle between Megan Thee Stallion and Tory Lanez. Ultimately Tory Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, was convicted of assault and illegal possession of a firearm, as well as negligent discharge of a gun. The legal proceedings relied heavily on witness testimonies.
Of particular focus was Kelsey Harris' testimony. Harris, a former friend of Megan Thee Stallion (Megan Pete), was present in the vehicle during the alleged shooting. The defense made it clear during opening statements that they intended to place blame on Harris. Additionally, the prosecution granted Harris "use immunity," meaning the district attorney's (DA) office couldn't use her testimony against her in a prosecution.
Despite having immunity, Harris declined to answer many questions. For instance, although she had previously told the DA in a recorded video that Lanez threatened to kill her, she unsuccessfully attempted to invoke her Fifth Amendment right when asked the same question on the stand. While she had identified Lanez as the assailant in the recorded interview, on the stand she would not confirm seeing Lanez with a firearm. Her behavior is perplexing, given her immunity and the defense team's admission of trying to shift blame onto her.
Pete testified that Lanez had offered Harris $1 million as "hush money," although Harris denied any bribery. Prosecutors sought to add two new witness tampering charges based on Pete and Harris's testimony regarding "statements the defendant made in the car, offering them a million dollars" to stay silent about the shooting. Judge David Herriford questioned why prosecutors had waited so long to file the additional charges and denied the motion.
Another key witness in this case is Sean Kelley, a West Hollywood resident who claimed he saw the altercation from his apartment. He was called as a defense witness, likely because he initially told the police that he saw a gun flash near a woman's hand. However, Kelley's testimony favored the prosecution. During cross-examination, he testified that he saw a shorter man (referring to Lanez) firing a weapon and shouting abusive language. He continued, saying the female victim (Pete) exited the vehicle bleeding and was subsequently assaulted by Lanez.
Text messages were presented as evidence to the jury.
Harris sent a message to Pete's bodyguard, Justin Edison, moments after the incident, stating, "Help, Tory shot Meg 911." When asked about the message on the stand, Harris said, "I don't know why I said that to Justin. I didn't see anything happen."
Both Harris and Lanez tested positive for gunshot residue. Lanez’s DNA was not found on the magazine of the firearm, and when it came to the firearm itself, the defendant's DNA results came back inconclusive.
One piece of evidence was clear: the gunshot wounds sustained by Pete.
Dr. Lee Haruno, the chief orthopedic resident at Cedars-Sinai, described Pete's injuries after the shooting and showed X-rays to the jury. Haruno stated that he assisted in operating on her feet after she was shot on July 12, 2020. Haruno pointed to the X-rays, identifying bullet fragments on the back of both of Pete's heels.
Thus, while the identity of the shooter may be contested, compelling evidence proves Pete is undoubtedly a victim of abuse. So, why is the greater rap community attacking Pete and dismissing her as a liar?
A study from Georgetown University Law Center aids in explaining why, highlighting a disturbing perception that Black girls require less protection compared to their white counterparts and raising significant legal concerns.
Consider Cyntoia Brown and Alexis Martin, as examples. Brown, at 16 years old, shot a man who picked her up for sex, claiming self-defense, but was prosecuted for robbery and served 51 years. Martin, aged 15, was accused of orchestrating a robbery resulting in her exploiter's death. Despite her indirect involvement, she received a 21-year-to-life sentence in 2015. Both Black survivors of sexual violence were ensnared by the criminal justice system for acts related to their exploitation. Their attempts to resist their abusers led to punishment, as juries perceived them as culpable, less innocent, and undeserving of adequate protection, despite their age and circumstances.
Black women often find themselves in a difficult situation when it comes to abuse. When a Black man is the abuser, Black women may feel that the justice system doesn't adequately protect Black people.
Indiana State representative Vanessa Summers says “[Black women] know African American men are more apt to go the criminal justice system, and [Black women] don’t want to send them.”
Black men disproportionately comprise 35% of the United State’s male prison population and are killed by police at a higher rate than any other race, highlighting the country’s unjust justice system.
This dilemma leaves Black women torn between seeking justice and protecting their abusers. Pete has explained that when the police responded to a disturbance call, her first instinct wasn't to ask for help, but rather to shield Lanez. She stated, "He shot me, and I still tried to protect him… because the police be killing us," referring to Black people.
Despite her care and consideration for Tory Lanez, the Hip Hop community rallied around him and subsequently turned against Pete. Even artists who are typically neutral and non-controversial chose to express their views on the matter. For example, Drake released a song titled "Circo Loco," in which he made derogatory remarks about Pete, saying “that bitch lied ‘bout getting shot, but she’s still a stallion.” Despite the degradation, the album went platinum. Furthermore, 50 Cent compared her to Jussie Smollet, who is infamous for fabricating a hate crime. These are just a few examples of the industry publicly degrading her, ostracizing her, and painting her as a liar.
“I wish he would’ve just shot and killed me if I knew I was going to have to go through this torture,” Pete testified, citing her struggles with mental health immediately following the incident and throughout the trial.
Perhaps District Attorney Gascón said it best: “Mr. Peterson has engaged in a pattern of conduct that was intended to intimidate Ms. Pete and silence her truths from being heard. Women, especially Black women, are afraid to report crimes like assault because they are too often not believed. I commend Megan Pete for her incredible bravery and vulnerability as she underwent months of probing investigation and court appearances where she had to relive her trauma, and the public scrutiny that followed. This case highlighted the numerous ways that our society must do better for women.”
Furthermore, and possibly most importantly, if even a Grammy Award-winning artist faces such challenges, what about the majority of Black women who lack the finances to hire high-powered lawyers to confront their abusers?
Works Cited
The People of the State of California v. Daystar Peterson (2022)
Ibid
Ibid
Garcia, Thania. “Kelsey Harris Continues to Backtrack in Testimony for Megan Thee Stallion Shooting.” Variety, December 16, 2022. https://variety.com/2022/music/news/kelsey-harris-testimony-megan-thee-stallion-shooting-1235462565/.
Ibid
Germain, Tabie. “Newly Unsealed Emails Show Former Lawyers Warned Tory Lanez against Blaming Kelsey Harris for Shooting Megan Thee Stallion.” BET, June 20, 2023. https://www.bet.com/article/4yjif6/tory-lanez-kelsey-harris-viable-strategy-megan-thee-stallion.
The People of the State of California v. Daystar Peterson (2022)
Ibid
The People of the State of California v. Daystar Peterson (2022)
Ibid
Ibid
Garcia, Thania. “Kelsey Harris Continues to Backtrack in Testimony for Megan Thee Stallion Shooting.” Variety, December 16, 2022. https://variety.com/2022/music/news/kelsey-harris-testimony-megan-thee-stallion-shooting-1235462565/.
Ibid
Mitchell, Taiyler S. “The Doctor Who Operated on Megan Thee Stallion after She Was Shot Said Remnants from the Bullets Are Still inside Her Feet.” Insider, December 16, 2022. https://www.insider.com/surgeon-removed-bullet-fragments-megan-thee-stallions-feet-still-inside-2022-12.
Ibid
Epstien, Rebecca, Jamila J Blake, and Thalia Gonzalez. “Girlhoood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls’ Childhood.” Georgtown Law, June 2017. https://www.law.georgetown.edu/poverty-inequality-center/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2017/08/girlhood-interrupted.pdf.
Ibid
Ibid
Ibid
“A Layered Look at Domestic Violence in the Black Community.” Coburn Place, October 16, 2023. https://coburnplace.org/stories/a-layered-look-at-domestic-violence-in-the-black-community/.
“Criminal Justice Fact Sheet.” NAACP, November 4, 2022. https://naacp.org/resources/criminal-justice-fact-sheet.
Ali, Rasha. “‘Protect Black Women’: Halle Berry, Michael B. Jordan Show Support for Megan Thee Stallion.” USA Today, August 24, 2020. https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/08/22/halle-berry-michael-b-jordan-show-support-megan-thee-stallion/3419354001/.
"Circo Loco." Track 9 on Her Loss. OVO Sound and Republic Records, 2022. Aubrey Graham
Andriyashchuk, Yuriy. MSN, December 2022. https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/drake-and-21-savages-%E2%80%9Cher-loss%E2%80%9D-album-reaches-platinum-eligibility/ar-AA15IVSK.
Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie. “50 Cent Compares Megan Thee Stallion to Jussie Smollett amid Tory Lanez Shooting Trial.” HipHopDX, December 19, 2022. https://hiphopdx.com/news/50-cent-megan-thee-stallion-jussie-smollett-troll-tory-lanez-trial.
The People of the State of California v. Daystar Peterson (2022)
Ibid