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

38 minutes ago in Community, Entertainment, Local, Music, On The Town

Warren Haynes’ Christmas Jam keeps Asheville at its heart

Fresh
Warren Haynes

Warren Haynes reflects on the festival’s growth, community roots and its commitment to giving back

7 hours ago in Entertainment

Sundance Film Festival unveils 90 feature films for its last Utah edition

Programmers on Wednesday unveiled a lineup of 90 feature films set for the festival's last hurrah in Park City, Utah. The slate includes documentaries on basketball great Brittney Griner, Nelson Mandela, Salman Rushdie, Courtney Love and Billie Jean King. There are starry features with the likes of Natalie Portman, Jenna Ortega, Seth Rogen, Channing Tatum, Danielle Brooks, Olivia Colman, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Alexander Skarsgård and Ethan Hawke.

7 hours ago in Entertainment

Oscars recognize casting for the first time, offering a spotlight on a key job in the movie industry

Casting will get some Oscar love next year. A new prize for achievement in casting was added to the Academy Awards in March, a step casting directors believe is long overdue. The 98th Academy Awards will air live on ABC on March 15, 2026.

7 hours ago in Entertainment

Sophie Kinsella, author of the millions-selling ‘Shopaholic’ novels, dies at 55

Writer Sophie Kinsella, whose effervescent rom-com "Confessions of a Shopaholic" sparked a millions-selling series, died Wednesday, her family said. She was 55 and had been diagnosed with brain cancer.

9 hours ago in Arts & Culture, Community, Entertainment, Food & Drink, Lifestyle, Local, Music, On The Town, Outdoors

Things to do in Asheville & WNC: Dec. 12-14

Looking for things to do this weekend? We have you covered. From Christmas parades to winter markets, we have a one horse open sleigh's worth of activities in our weekend guide.