Tory Lanez says he was wrongly convicted of Megan Thee Stallion shooting, sends message to LA DA

Megan Thee Stallion breaks silence in Tory Lanez trial

The rapper says she didn't consider herself a victim.

LOS ANGELES - In a posting Friday on Instagram, jailed rapper Tory Lanez insisted he was "wrongfully convicted" of shooting fellow musician Megan Thee Stallion in the foot in the Hollywood Hills.

"Today I take a stance as an innocent Black man, wrongfully convicted of a crime I did not commit," Lanez said in the Instagram post that is addressed to Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.

In an audio recording that accompanied the Instagram post, Lanez alleged that he "was completely robbed and deprived of a fair trial" and that he watched prosecutors "unlawfully misuse their authority to hide and suppress any and all exculpatory evidence that exonerates me and furthers my innocence."

"So, Mr. Gascón, I come to you today as a wrongfully convicted Black man, not asking for sympathy, nor compassion, but for you to simply do what is fair and right in the laws of California, and most importantly in the eyes of God," he said in the recording, in which he cited the steps that Gascón has taken "in regards to fighting for the justice of Black and Brown minorities."

The District Attorney's Office could not be reached for immediate comment on the post from Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson.

Lanez -- who is awaiting a May 8 hearing on the defense's motion for a new trial -- has remained behind bars since he was ordered to be taken into custody Dec. 23 shortly after the jury's verdict was read.

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Jurors deliberated about seven hours before finding him guilty of one felony count each of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having a loaded unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.

During the trial, Megan Thee Stallion testified that Lanez told her to "dance, bitch," and shot her in the feet during a July 12, 2020, argument in the Hollywood Hills following a get-together at Kylie Jenner's home. She said she had no doubt that Lanez fired the shots, and that he later offered her $1 million not to say anything.

Under cross-examination, the Grammy Award-winning singer -- whose real name is Megan Pete -- said she initially had no intention of talking about what had happened and "didn't want to be a snitch," but felt she had to "defend my name" when she saw that people were "making things up" and suggesting that she hadn't been shot.

In an essay published Tuesday on Elle magazine's website, Megan Thee Stallion wrote, "As I reflect on the past three years, I view myself as a survivor, because I have truly survived the unimaginable."

"Not only did I survive being shot by someone I trusted and considered a close friend, but I overcame the public humiliation of having my name and reputation dragged through the mud by that individual for the entire world to see," she wrote.

"When the guilty verdict came on Dec. 23, 2022, it was more than just vindication for me, it was a victory for every woman who has ever been shamed, dismissed, and blamed for a violent crime committed against them," Pete wrote. "When the guilty verdict came on Dec. 23, 2022, it was more than just vindication for me, it was a victory for every woman who has ever been shamed, dismissed, and blamed for a violent crime committed against them."