A California appeals court has upheld Tory Lanez’s conviction for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, rejecting the rapper’s attempt to overturn the guilty verdict. In a ruling issued Wednesday, a three-judge panel from the state’s 2nd District Court of Appeal affirmed all three felony counts stemming from the July 2020 incident. Lanez (born Daystar Peterson), was convicted in December 2022 of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. The trial drew widespread attention, sparking national conversations about misogyny, race, celebrity, and online harassment.



The appellate court dismissed each of the defense’s claims, siding with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Herriford’s handling of the high-profile case. Justice Anne H. Egerton wrote that it was appropriate for prosecutors to question Megan (born Megan Pete) about the emotional difficulty of testifying, noting the jury was properly instructed on how such statements relate to credibility. The court also upheld the decision to play a recorded interview from key witness Kelsie Harris, who repeatedly claimed memory lapses on the stand. Additionally, the judges ruled that an Instagram comment attributed to Lanez saying “that’s not true” about allegations against Harris was a minor and harmless issue, even if uncertain who posted it.

Lanez’s legal team argued he was innocent and that errors during the trial warranted a new proceeding, but the panel rejected those assertions. His attorneys may still petition the California Supreme Court to hear the case. Lanez is currently serving a 10-year sentence at the California Men’s Colony after being moved for safety reasons following a stabbing at a previous facility. Megan Thee Stallion, whose career has continued to soar with Grammy wins and chart-topping hits, has not yet commented on the latest ruling.