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Music

How the Megan Thee Stallion shooting trial played out

(Danny Moloshok/Reuters )

Rapper Tory Lanez is due to be sentenced later for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the feet.

A jury in the US found him guilty of firing at the Savage singer in the Hollywood Hills during an argument.

Almost three years have passed since the 2020 shooting, and a lot has happened inside - and outside - court.

It's a case that's divided fans and spilled out into the wider hip-hop world, with Drake being accused of taking sides at one point.

When the trial finally got going in Los Angeles late last year, after months of delays, Megan got to take the stand and give her version of events under oath.

What the trial heard

Megan Thee Stallion is helped out of a black Range Rover type vehicle by a minder as she arrives at court in Los Angeles. She's smartly dressed in a purple, belted jacket with a deep neckline. Her shoulder-length hair is straight and parted so one side covers one of her large silver hoop earrings. She's looking down at the ground through a pair of large, black sunglasses.
(Getty Images) Megan Thee Stallion gave evidence at the LA courthouse in December

"I can't believe I have to come here and do this," was how Megan started her testimony in the LA courtroom.

She told the jury it all began at the party hosted by Kylie Jenner in the Hollywood Hills on 12 July 2020.

Megan, real name Megan Pete, and Tory Lanez, real name Daystar Peterson, got into an argument as they drove away from the event.

She told the trial the row started when she mocked Lanez' musical talents.

According to Megan, she demanded to be let out of the car and heard Tory shouting at her to dance.

He then opened fire with a handgun. The jury heard how she left a trail of blood at the scene and minutes after the shooting a friend messaged her security saying: "Help... Tory shot Meg."

Megan told the courtroom Lanez had offered her $1m to keep quiet about what happened, and called her afterwards to apologise, claiming he was "just too drunk".

Through tears, she said she had regrets about coming forward, saying speaking out had been "torture".

Why the case was so divisive

Four Megan Thee Stallion supporters stand outside a Los Angeles courthouse. They're each holding a sign with "We Stand With Megan" written in white block capitals on a black background. One, with a megaphone slung over his shoulder, wears a white sweatshirt with the same slogan printed in blue. Three of the protesters stand in front of a metal security railing, while the fourth - who stands behind a fellow protester, is on the other side of it.
(Getty Images) Fans showed their support for the rapper outside the courthouse in LA

Outside the court, Lanez' supporters stood opposite crowds of fans carrying "We stand with Megan" signs. And as Megan arrived at the building, his side heckled her by shouting: "Why are you lying on that boy?"

Accusations of lying have dogged the Grammy-winning rapper throughout the case because her story changed early on.

She initially told police she'd been hurt by stepping on broken glass. It wasn't until later, on Instagram, when she first said that Tory had shot her.

She then told an interviewer she'd needed surgery to remove bullets from her feet which had missed her bones and tendons.

Megan, 27, said she lied to officers at the time because she didn't want to "get in more trouble".

It sparked a long war of words between her and Lanez - they both released tracks about the case.

In his song Money Over Fallout, Lanez accused Megan of trying to frame him, while Megan said she was the one "speakin' facts" in her track Shots Fired.

Taking sides

Drake and 21 Savage perform in Atlanta Georgia. They're in front of a large, red-hued picture of 21 Savage, showing his face from three different angles, with his name printed repeatedly behind him. Drake is wearing a black bomber-style jacket and thick gloves. His face is mostly obscured as he sings into the microphone. 21 Savage is wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, and pointing at the crowd.
(Getty Images) In his collab with 21 Savage, Drake appears to suggest Megan lied about being shot

The dispute spilled out into the wider hip-hop world, with artists like 50 Cent and even Drake getting involved.

Megan frequently defended herself on Twitter and said she'd been painted as aggressive and a "snitch". She suggested misogynoir - misogyny against black women - could be why she was targeted.

Megan criticised Drake when he released Circo Loco, a collab with 21 Savage that appeared to reference the shooting case. But she did receive support from fellow artists, like JoJo and Kehlani.

And a group of prominent black women, including #MeToo founder Tarana Burke, released an open letter backing Megan.

'In Da Club' rapper 50 Cents eventually apologised for sharing memes casting doubt on Megan's version of events.

He said he'd changed his mind after hearing evidence from the trial.

'A victory for every woman'

Megan Thee Stallion performs on-stage - she's wearing a sparkly, purple figure-hugging top with a circle cut out that exposes part of her chest. She's holding a microphone close to her face with one hand, that has impressively long nails painted in a shiny silvery colour. She appears to be in the middle of belting out a note - she's slightly sweaty and looks to be giving an energetic performance.
(Getty Images) Megan says the guilty verdict was a "victory for women"

Lanez has always denied the charges against him - felony negligent discharge of a firearm, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, and carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm.

The 30-year-old Canadian has filed various appeals - and his lawyers could launch other motions after his sentence.

Since the guilty verdict, Megan has tried to reclaim the narrative around the shooting, and spoken about the effect "false narratives" and "conspiracy theories" had on her.

In an Elle Magazine feature, she said the guilty verdict "was a victory for every woman who has ever been shamed, dismissed, and blamed for a violent crime committed against them".

"We can't control what others think, especially when the lies are juicier than the truth," she said.

"But as a society, we must create safer environments for women to come forward about violent behaviour without fear of retaliation."

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.