Reporter Meghann Cuniff obtained Megan Thee Stallion’s entire victim statement, which was read at Tory Lanez’s sentencing in Los Angeles. The statement urged Judge David Herriford to hand down a harsh punishment.
Megan Thee Stallion said she was “tormented and terrorized” by Tory Lanez. She criticized him for mocking her trauma, paying bloggers to spread false information and showing no remorse for his actions.
Earlier this month, Judge Herriford sentenced Tory Lanez to 10 years in prison for shooting Megan Thee Stallion. The Canadian rapper/singer received roughly 10 months of credit for time served.
Tory Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, was convicted of three felony charges in December 2022. A jury found him guilty of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, discharging a firearm with gross negligence and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle.
Meghann Cuniff also acquired Tory Lanez’s full statement from his sentencing. He begged the judge for leniency and said he still considered Megan Thee Stallion to be his friend.
“If I could turn back the series of events that night [of the 2020 shooting] and change them, as unfortunate as they were, I would, but I can’t, and I apologize,” he said. “I’m sorry that I did that. Sorry that I had those moments. And, again, if I could, I would — I would change them. But I can’t. But to think that I’m this callous individual that is some sort of victimizer or some sort of womanizer is just not true because the victim was my friend. The victim was somebody that I still care for dearly to this day regardless of what she may think about me after the media has made this spectacle that it’s been.”
He added, “Regardless of the fact, the victim’s my friend. She’s somebody that I sat there — and not to even touch on the subject — but we both lost our mothers. And we would sit there and drink and drink till it felt numb. That was what me and the victim had. We were friends that connected on various levels of deeper subjects than what has met the eye.”
Read Megan Thee Stallion’s victim statement below.
Dear Honorable Judge Herriford,
I struggled with being present today. I don’t want my absence to be interpreted as anything other than the preservation of my mental well-being. after everything that occurred, I simply can’t bring myself to be back in the same room with Tory once again.
I want you to know that since I was viciously shot by the defendant a little over three years ago, I have not experienced a single day of peace.
I have been tormented and terrorized in every degree by the defendant.
He not only shot me, he made a mockery of my trauma. He tried to position himself as a victim and set out to destroy my character and my soul.
He lied to anyone that would listen and paid bloggers to disseminate false information about the case on social media.
He released music videos and songs to damage my character and continue his crusade. He treated my trauma like a joke when I could have died that day.
Mercy can only be granted to those who accept responsibility for their actions. But not once has the defendant taken accountability.
At first, he tried to deny the shooting ever happened. Then he attempted to place the blame on my former best friend. In his tantrum of lies, he’s blamed the system. Blamed the press. And as of late, he’s using his childhood trauma to shield himself and avoid culpability.
For once, the defendant must be forced to face the full consequences of his heinous actions and face justice.
If the defendant would have spent a quarter of the past few years showing contrition for his crimes, perhaps I could have healed sooner. Instead, I spiraled into a dark and angry place where I thought my life was worthless and I felt loneliness and shame. Slowly but surely, I’m healing and coming back. But I will never be the same.
However, every day I think of the others across the world who are victims of violence and have survived. It is truly the most powerless feeling, especially when you question whether the justice system can truly protect you.
Fortunately, the District Attorney’s Office fought for me. I’m incredibly grateful to them and the jury for their attention to the evidence and siding with the truth. But if it can happen to me, imagine those who lack the resources and support system to help them.
Today I beg this court to send a message to every victim of violence and fully hold the defendant accountable for his criminal conduct.
This is a statement for all survivors that their lives matter and there is zero tolerance for the torture that accompanies violence. His crime warrants the full weight of the law.
Thank you, Your Honor.