News

Court denies Rapper Tory Lanez’s appeal of his conviction in Megan Thee Stallion shooting

Court denies Rapper Tory Lanez’s appeal of his conviction in Megan Thee Stallion shooting

Tory Lanez performs at HOT 97 Summer Jam 2019 in East Rutherford, N.J. on June 2, 2019, left, and Megan Thee Stallion attends the 5th annual Diamond Ball benefit gala in New York on Sept. 12, 2019. (Photos by Scott Roth, left, Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) Photo: Associated Press


By ANDREW DALTON AP Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California court on Wednesday denied rapper Tory Lanez’s appeal of his guilty verdict on charges he fired a gun at Megan Thee Stallion.
A three-judge panel from the California 2nd District Court of Appeal issued a ruling saying they affirm in full his conviction on three felony counts. They did not publicly release an opinion with their reasoning.
In December 2022, Lanez was convicted of three felonies: assault with a semiautomatic firearm; having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
Megan testified during the trial that in July 2020, after they left a party at Kylie Jenner’s Hollywood Hills home, Lanez fired the gun at the back of her feet and shouted for her to dance as she walked away from an SUV in which they had been riding together with two others.
She had bullet fragments in both feet that had to be surgically removed. It wasn’t until months after the shooting that she publicly identified Lanez as the person who had fired the gun.
Attorneys for Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday’s ruling. They can petition to have the California Supreme Court hear the appeal. A representative for Megan also didn’t immediately answer an email seeking comment.
Lanez is serving a 10-year sentence at the California Men’s Colony near San Luis Obispo, California. He was moved there after he was stabbed by a fellow inmate at California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi.
Authorities did not specify how Lanez was attacked, but a message posted on the rapper’s Instagram account Monday evening said Lanez was stabbed 14 times and both his lungs collapsed.
The 32-year-old Canadian Lanez began releasing mixtapes in 2009 and saw a steady rise in popularity, moving on to major label albums, two of which reached the top 10 on Billboard’s charts.

Recent Headlines

11 hours ago in Features, Trending

Doritos and Cheetos dial back the bright orange in new versions without artificial ingredients

PepsiCo said Thursday it's launching toned-down versions of its bright orange snacks that won't have any artificial colors or flavors. Doritos and Cheetos Simply NKD will hit store shelves on Dec. 1.

11 hours ago in Entertainment

Sarah Jessica Parker to be honored with Carol Burnett Award at the Golden Globes

Sarah Jessica Parker is going from someone who gives out prizes to getting one. The Emmy- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winner — and judge for the 2025 Booker Prize — was named Thursday as the recipient of the Carol Burnett Award for her "outstanding contributions to television on or off screen."

11 hours ago in National, Trending

Blue Origin launches huge rocket carrying twin NASA spacecraft to Mars

Blue Origin launched its huge New Glenn rocket Thursday with a pair of NASA spacecraft destined for Mars. It was only the second flight of the rocket that Jeff Bezos' company and NASA are counting on to get people and supplies to the moon.

18 hours ago in Entertainment

9 pitch-perfect holiday gifts for the music lovers in your life

By MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer Shopping for a music fan is no easy task. It seems like it should…

18 hours ago in Entertainment

Bill Murray, Elle Fanning and Elvis Costello celebrate Sofia Coppola at MoMA benefit

When Sofia Coppola was 20 years old and figuring out who she wanted to be in the world, Angelica Huston offered some advice: "Not everyone's going to love you. Don't waste your time on the people who don't," Coppola recalled Wednesday night in New York at the Museum of Modern Art Film Benefit, where she was being honored for her films.