In a significant legal development, Canadian rapper Tory Lanez has lost his appeal against his conviction for the 2020 shooting of Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion, after a California appellate court upheld his 10-year prison sentence.
The decision, delivered on Wednesday, November 12, marks another major setback for Lanez — whose real name is Daystar Peterson — nearly three years after he was found guilty in 2022 of firing a gun at Megan during a heated argument in the Hollywood Hills.
Lanez’s attorneys had filed multiple appeals seeking to overturn the conviction, arguing that the trial was marred by errors and lacked sufficient evidence linking him to the shooting. However, the appellate judges firmly rejected those claims, ruling that the trial court had acted properly and that there was “no prejudicial error” affecting the outcome.
“Peterson contends the trial court committed a number of errors,” the appeals court wrote. “We find no prejudicial error and, accordingly, affirm Peterson’s conviction.”
The ruling stems from a July 12, 2020 incident that took place after a party at reality star Kylie Jenner’s residence. According to court records, Lanez, Megan, and Megan’s then-friend and assistant Kelsey Harris were being driven home when a drunken argument escalated. Prosecutors said that when Megan exited the vehicle and began walking away, Lanez shouted “Dance, b—h!” before opening fire, striking her foot.
Initially, Megan told police she had stepped on broken glass, but days later revealed she had been shot — a revelation that sparked widespread public outrage and debate over violence against women in the music industry.
Lanez was later charged and ultimately convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, negligent discharge of a firearm, and possession of an unregistered firearm. During the highly publicized trial in Los Angeles, Lanez’s defense team tried to cast doubt on the prosecution’s case by suggesting that Kelsey Harris could have been the shooter. However, conflicting testimony and a key witness’s previous interview — in which Harris identified Lanez as the shooter — severely undermined the defense.
Megan’s own powerful courtroom testimony was pivotal. She recounted the emotional and physical trauma she endured following the incident, describing how the shooting and its aftermath damaged her career and reputation.
Despite maintaining his innocence and describing the verdict as a “miscarriage of justice,” Lanez’s legal team has repeatedly failed to convince appellate judges to reconsider the case. In this latest appeal, they claimed prosecutors introduced racial bias by referencing a tattoo of a gun on Lanez’s chest and improperly cited an Instagram post related to the shooting. The court, however, dismissed those claims, noting that the tattoo issue was first raised by Lanez’s own defense counsel during questioning.
With the appellate ruling, Lanez’s 10-year sentence — handed down in August 2023 — remains intact, cementing one of the most closely watched celebrity legal battles in recent years.
The ruling effectively closes another chapter in a high-profile case that exposed the darker realities of fame, loyalty, and accountability within the entertainment industry.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The California appeals court has upheld Tory Lanez’s conviction and 10-year prison sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, rejecting all his claims of trial errors and reaffirming the original verdict.
