Canadian singer Tory Lanez made an official claim of innocence in his latest legal move.
Read More: Megan Thee Stallion wins big at the 2020 BET Hip Hop Awards, including Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
According to TMZ, his lawyer Shawn Holley appeared on the artist’s behalf and entered a not guilty plea in regards to the shooting incident involving rapper Megan Thee Stallion Wednesday. Lanez, legal name Daystar Peterson, has yet to make an in-person appearance on the charges. His last first-hand involvement was over the phone.
theGrio reported last month his charges include a felony count each of assault with a semiautomatic firearm – personal use of a firearm – and carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He was arrested after the Houston rapper sustained gunshot injuries to both feet. She named him the shooter during an Instagram live post where she shared frustrations about the violent incident and the reaction from fans and media.
“Yes, this ni— Tory shot me,” she said in August. She claimed the singer “got his publicist and your people going to these blogs lying” about what really went down that night.
Read More: Megan Thee Stallion pens NY Times op-ed championing Black women: ‘We’re all we have’
Featured as GQ‘s 2020 Rapper of the Year, the Big Ol’ Freak artist opened up about the situation in her cover story. She claimed that Peterson offered her money to keep quiet about the shooting.
“I’m really scared,” Megan said to GQ, “because this is like right in the middle of all the protesting. Police are just killing everybody for no reason, and I’m thinking, ‘I can’t believe you even think I want to take some money. Like, you just shot me.’ ”
Since the shooting, she has used her platform to continue speaking for Black women and the need for widespread and equal protection. Appearing on Saturday Night Live in October as the musical guest, and even flaunting her talent in skits, the 25-year-old made a statement for Breonna Taylor in the middle of her performance.
“We have to protect our Black women and love our Black women because at the end of the day, we need our Black women. We need to protect our Black men and stand up for our Black men because, at the end of the day, we tired of seeing hashtags of our Black men,” hip-hop’s resident hot girl exclaimed on the national stage.
TMZ reported state officials have questioned whether or not to hold Peterson accountable for potentially violating the protective order with his social media posts and song lyrics after the incident. His next hearing is scheduled for January 20. If convicted, the 28-year-old faces up to 22 and 8 months years behind bars.
Megan is set to release her debut album Good News on November 20. The 17-track project features Big Sean, 2 Chainz, City Girls, SZA, and her internet-breaking Savage remix with Beyoncé.
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