Canadian rap star Drake has thrown his weight behind a campaign to free fellow artist Tory Lanez, who is serving a 10-year sentence for the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion.
Drake posted a link to a Change.org petition on his Instagram Story, urging California Governor Gavin Newsom to grant Lanez a pardon with the caption, “@torylanez come home soon.”
The petition, titled “Pardon Tory Lanez: Urge Governor Newsom to Correct a Deep Injustice,” has amassed over 250,000 signatures, fueled by a coalition of fans, celebrities, and criminal justice reform advocates who claim Lanez was wrongfully convicted.
The petition’s surge in attention comes on the heels of a reported prison yard attack on Lanez at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi, where he was allegedly stabbed 14 times on May 12, 2025, sustaining severe injuries, including collapsed lungs.
According to a statement posted on Lanez’s Instagram, he is recovering but remains on a breathing apparatus. The incident, allegedly carried out by an inmate serving a life sentence for second-degree murder, has intensified calls for Lanez’s release, with supporters arguing his safety is at risk.
The petition, backed by the Caldwell Institute for Public Safety and the nonprofit Unite The People, argues that Lanez’s conviction lacks sufficient physical evidence.
It highlights that no DNA from Lanez was found on the firearm, gunshot residue was detected on both Lanez and Kelsey Harris (Megan’s former friend and a passenger in the vehicle), and only Lanez’s DNA was tested.
Other celebrities, including Kodak Black, Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign, Joyner Lucas, and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, have joined the cause, amplifying the petition’s reach.
Governor Newsom has the authority to grant a pardon for state convictions, but such actions are rare and typically require compelling evidence of innocence or extraordinary circumstances.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
As the petition continues to gain signatures, the pressure on Newsom mounts, but so does the scrutiny on Lanez’s supporters. Whether this momentum will lead to a pardon or a retrial remains uncertain, but for now, the rallying cry of “come home soon” echoes across social media, with Drake at its forefront.
ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM VERILY NEWS
