Megan Thee Stallion tells court fellow rapper Tory Lanez told her to ‘dance’ as he shot at her feet
Grammy-winner Megan Thee Stallion has told a jury that fellow rapper Tory Lanez told her to “dance” before shooting at her feet five times following a party at Kylie Jenner’s house in the Hollywood Hills.
The hip hop star gave evidence in court during the second day of an assault trial in Los Angeles, saying she was wounded in the incident.
“I’m in shock. I’m scared,” the 27-year-old told jurors, according to the Los Angeles Times. “I hear the gun going off, and I can’t believe he’s shooting at me.”
Tory Lanez pictured outside court during the second day of his trial. Pic: AP/Damian Dovarganes
Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, said she saw blood on her feet after the alleged incident, which happened following a party at The Kardashians star Jenner‘s home in July 2020, Sky News’ US affiliate NBC reports from California’s City News Service.
She reportedly told the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Centre courthouse that after she was shot, Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, offered her $1m (about £808,000) to keep quiet.
Canadian rapper Lanez, 30, has pleaded not guilty to discharging a firearm with gross negligence, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle.
Megan wore a purple suit to give evidence in court.
“I just don’t feel good,” she said, at the beginning of questioning from deputy district attorney Kathy Ta. “I can’t believe I have to come in here and do this.”
Telling the court her memories of the night, she said she left Jenner’s party in a vehicle with Lanez, his bodyguard and her friend.
She and Lanez had become close, jurors heard, and had an occasionally sexual relationship.
Megan Thee Stallion performing at Glastonbury earlier in 2022
Megan’s friend, who had a “crush” on Lanez, tried to stir up trouble in the car, the court was told.
The rapper said the argument spiralled out of control and that she and Lanez started making digs about each other’s music and careers.
“I feel like that really rubbed him the wrong way,” she said. “He kept yelling and cursing.”
Megan said she was wearing a bikini, but got out of the vehicle and tried to walk away.
This is when Lanez leaned out and opened fire, she said, according to the reports, leaving the back of her feet wounded.
At one point, he yelled, “Dance, b*tch!”, she testified. “I looked down at my feet, and I see all the blood,” she said.
“Now everybody’s screaming. He looked shocked.”
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During the opening statements in the trial, Lanez’s attorney George Mgdesyan said Megan’s injury showed she could not have had a clear look at whoever shot the gun, and that he would present more evidence that countered her story during the trial.
If convicted on all counts, Lanez could be sentenced to more than 22 years in prison. He could also be deported to his native Canada.
Lanez’s career began in 2009, and he has had a successful run of mixtapes and major-label records since then, with his last two albums reaching the top 10 on the US Billboard charts.
Megan Thee Stallion was an up-and-coming star at the time of the alleged incident. In 2021, she won a Grammy for best new artist, and had number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 with her own song Savage featuring Beyonce, and as a guest on Cardi B‘s WAP, which featured Jenner in the video.
The trial continues.
It’s easy to see why Anora, the film currently creating a lot of awards buzz, is being described as a modern day Pretty Woman.
It tells the story of a young woman, a sex worker, who ends up falling in love with a very rich man; this time round, he’s the son of a Russian oligarch.
But the similarities end there. More than 30 years on from Richard Gere and Julia Roberts’ famous Hollywood ending, Anora takes the sugar-coating away from the realities of sex work.
Mikey Madison stars as Anora. Pic: Neon/Augusta Quirk
It is one of those rare films that has already impressed critics – taking the biggest prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and now leading the nominations at the Gotham Awards – but will also appeal to a wider audience looking for something fun and smart, too.
It is the latest story from writer-director Sean Baker, a filmmaker who often focuses on marginalised people and has covered sex work in several of his previous works, from a retired porn star in Red Rocket to a transgender sex worker in Tangerine, and a character who solicits sex work online in The Florida Project.
Anora took home the biggest prize at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Pic: Neon
The theme was never intentional, he tells Sky News, but after discovering more about the industry he realised he wanted to tell these stories.
“I never imagined me making five films in a row focused on sex work,” he says. “It just happened to be that when I started doing research on the first one, I met sex workers, became friends with sex workers, and discovered that there were a million stories to be told in that world. And each one can be individual and very different, being that there’s so many aspects of sex work, so one led to the next.
“I don’t know if it will continue, I’m not sure, it has to happen organically though – I’d never want it to be a shtick of mine, you know, I want it to be something I’m inspired to do and there has to be a reason behind it.”
Pic: Neon
‘The sex work community is amazing’
Mikey Madison, who plays the lead character Anora – or Ani for short – is now tipped for best actress nominations come awards season next year.
She says she immersed herself in the world of her character when preparing for the role.
“I think that I went into the research not with much knowledge about sex work, and so I was able to learn a lot and educate myself in a way that I don’t know I would have if it weren’t for this film,” she says. “I’m so grateful to have that experience because the sex work community is amazing and I’ve made so many incredible friends.”
But that wasn’t the only prep Madison had to do. She’s listed in the credits as helping to choreograph her character’s dances, and she also had to learn Russian – though admits she’s out of practise again now.
“My Duolingo app has been bothering me trying to get me back into it. I think I just haven’t had a chance to practise any of it, but on the last handful of days of shooting, I was able to listen to pretty full conversations and understand what they were talking about. And at this point, I think it’s gone, but maybe I’ll be able to redevelop it.”
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When Anora competed at Cannes in May it won the Palme d’Or, the top prize for the best feature film.
Baker says the win was far more than just a tick off his bucket list.
“I think it was the bucket list! I mean, that was it,” he says. “It’s been incredible, it really has been, and I really didn’t expect it – we were just so happy to be in competition at Cannes, and next thing you know we’re at the awards ceremony, and next thing you know I’m up on stage and George Lucas is handing me the Palme d’Or.”
“So, yeah, it’s life changing.”
Anora is out in cinemas in the UK today
GB News has been fined £100,000 for breaking impartiality rules over a programme featuring Rishi Sunak, Ofcom has said.
It comes after the media watchdog announced in May that the show called People’s Forum: The Prime Minister had breached broadcasting guidelines.
The programme featured then prime minister Mr Sunak answering questions from a studio audience and a presenter.
GB News chief executive Angelos Frangopoulos said the fine was a “direct attack on free speech and journalism in the United Kingdom”.
“We believe these sanctions are unnecessary, unfair and unlawful,” he added.
The hour-long show, which aired on 12 February, prompted 547 complaints to Ofcom.
The regulator found earlier this year that while featuring Mr Sunak was fine in principle, “due weight” should have been given to an “appropriately wide range of significant views” other than the Conservatives.
Pic: PA
Ofcom said Mr Sunak “had a mostly uncontested platform to promote the policies and performance of his government in a period preceding a UK general election,” which it recorded as a breach of impartiality rules.
The watchdog said “given the seriousness and repeated nature of this breach,” it had imposed a £100,000 financial penalty.
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GB News was also directed to “broadcast a statement of our findings against it, on a date and in a form determined by us”.
The TV channel is challenging the breach decision by judicial review and Ofcom will not enforce the sanction decision until those proceedings are concluded.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Mr Frangopoulos insisted the show featuring Mr Sunak “was an important piece of public interest programming”, and that “appropriate steps” were taken to ensure due impartiality.
He added: “It was designed to allow members of the public to put their own questions directly to leading politicians.
“GB News chooses to be regulated and we understand our obligations under the Code.
“But, equally, Ofcom is obliged by law to uphold freedom of expression and apply its rules fairly and lawfully.”
Ofcom previously found GB News violated due impartiality rules in March over five programmes that featured Tory MPs as presenters.
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