Megan Thee Stallion at the 2023 CMT Awards - Arrivals

Megan Thee Stallion Believed She Didn't 'Fit The Profile Of A Victim' In Tory Lanez Shooting

Home / Breaking News / Megan Thee Stallion Believed She Didn't 'Fit The Profile Of A Victim' In Tory Lanez Shooting

By Fiyin Olowokandi on April 19, 2023 at 4:30 PM EDT

Her final message! Megan Thee Stallion is reflecting on her three-year battle for justice against Tory Lanez for the last time.

The Hip-hop sensation needs no introduction; even if one does not listen to her music, it is impossible to be unaware of her harrowing experience at the hands of the male rapper.

After telling the world in 2020 about getting shot in the foot by the "Who Needs Love" artist, the 28-year-old was not immediately vindicated. Instead, she was thrown to wolves for daring to speak out about her pain.

Following an intense legal battle amid social media hate and twisted versions of the truth, the "WAP" rapper emerged victorious. Now, the voluptuous beauty is opening up about surviving the worst moments of her life.

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Megan Thee Stallion Says She Is A 'Survivor' In Her Final Message About Tory Lanez

Megan Thee Stallion for Elle Magazine May 2023
ELLE Magazine

The Texas Southern University graduate recently let down her walls for an unfiltered account of her life since the 2020 incident. Dropping her heartbreaking yet powerful story in a lengthy essay for Elle Magazine, the songstress noted that this would be her final discussion about the horrible experience.

"My purpose is for these words to serve as the final time that I'll address anything regarding this case in the press," the chart-topper confessed. "I understand the public intrigue, but for my mental health, I don't plan to keep reliving the most traumatic experience of my life repeatedly."

"I'm choosing to change the narrative because I'm more than just my trauma," the four-time AMA winner declared, echoing similar sentiments as she did at the start of her essay.

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The entertainer's message began with her reflecting on how the past three years taught her to be identified as a "survivor" instead of a "victim." Praising herself for overcoming the towering odds stacked against her, the Houston native penned:

"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."

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Megan Thee Stallion at the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party - Arrivals
MEGA
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The BET honoree explained that it was heartbreaking enduring her attacker's taunts for years while watching the public gobble up his false narratives about the incident. The matter worsened when her peers in the industry joined Lanez in turning her trauma into a joke.

Calling out these individuals, the Hip-hop star wrote: "Even some of my peers in the music industry piled on with memes, jokes, and sneak disses, and completely ignored the fact that I could have lost my life."

The People's Choice Award winner continued, "Instead of condemning any form of violence against a woman, these individuals tried to justify my attacker's actions," noting that she persevered against her adversaries.

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Addressing her only regret about the situation, Megan admitted that she wanted to handle the matter privately. However, her attacker publicized the incident, and she was forced to put on a brave front while falling into despair.

Megan noted that amid the legal battle, she was in "such a low place" and did not want to make music. She also doubted people's interest in her songs and recalled crying her eyes out on different occasions before pulling "Megan Pete together" to become "Megan Thee Stallion."

Tory Lanez performs at The Forum in England
MEGA
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Although she doubted the public's belief in her story, the showstopper did not waver in her conviction that the truth would set her free. When Lanez received his guilty verdict, the 28-year-old believed she had defeated a cog in the system. In her words, 

"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."

The Houston native admitted black women are often pushed to suffer in silence because people assume that, per preconceived stigmas, she "didn't fit the profile of a victim, and that I didn't need support or protection."

With all that now behind her, the "WAP" songstress has begun her healing journey and relies on prayer, journaling, and setting boundaries to protect her mental health. She was also returning to music and assuring her fans that she had new sounds she couldn't wait for them to hear.

As a proud survivor, Megan concluded her tear-jerking message with one compelling statement: "As a society, we must create safer environments for women to come forward about violent behavior without fear of retaliation. We must provide more robust resources for women to recover from these tragedies physically and emotionally, without fear of judgment. We must do more than say her name. We must protect all women who have survived the unimaginable.

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Fans Are Getting Goddess Vibes As Megan Thee Stallion Steps Out In Gold Ensemble
Instagram | Megan Thee Stallion

Tory Lanez Remains Adamant About His Innocence & Appealed The Guilty Verdict

While Megan hopes to move on from this finally and never have her trauma make the headlines, the reverse can be said for Lanes, who insists he is innocent.

Last month, The Blast reported that Lanez would not go down without a fight following his guilty verdict in the shooting trial. To ensure the charges did not stick, the "In For It" rapper enlisted the help of a famous attorney named Jose Baez.

The renowned criminal defense began earning his allegedly high fees of $200,000 monthly by attacking the case's prosecutors for smearing his client's name with "irrelevant evidence." Baez accused the other party of manipulating the jury with a suggestive picture.

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The image in question captured a shirtless Lanez with a firearm tattoo on his chest. The defense attorney claimed this photo implied that his client had a passion for guns instead and had nothing to do with the case. The lawyer also slammed prosecutors for threatening to present the rapper's song lyrics to the jury.

Tory Lanez
Instagram | Tory Lanez
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Additionally, Baez deemed it improper to submit an Instagram post that contained claims about the incident from one of Megan's producers.

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