During her testimony on Dec. 13, the 27-year-old Grammy winner, whose full title is Megan Pete, mentioned that Lanez was midway out of the automobile when he yelled “Dance, bitch!” When she appeared again, she noticed him holding a gun and opening hearth, she mentioned.
On the witness stand, Megan broke down whereas sharing the toll the taking pictures and the trial have taken on her. She described seeing merciless and hateful messages about herself on-line every day, together with some that mentioned she deserved to be shot, and she or he added that the backlash had harm her popularity within the music trade.
“I can’t even be happy,” Megan mentioned. “I wish he would have shot and killed me if I knew I had to go through this torture.”
In 2020, Megan initially informed cops that she reduce her ft on damaged glass, later explaining she was too scared within the second to be trustworthy about how she sustained her accidents. Months later, Lanez accused Megan in a brand new album of “trying to frame” him, denying all allegations in a number of songs.
Defense attorneys for Lanez centered on the lie Megan informed on the scene, questioning the credibility of her testimony and different statements. They additionally challenged the logistics of the alleged taking pictures, together with how Lanez might hearth a gun at her if he was nonetheless contained in the automobile.
Lanez’s attorneys additionally tried to push a story that another person had shot Megan. Another girl within the automobile that night time, Kelsey Nicole, examined optimistic for gunshot residue, the chemical compounds launched when a gun is fired, as did Lanez. They urged Megan was motivated to lie about what occurred the night time of the taking pictures as a result of she and Kelsey, then her private assistant and buddy, had each had sexual relationships with Lanez, which Megan has denied.
Kelsey informed prosecutors in September that she noticed Lanez leaning over the SUV’s door as photographs had been fired and mentioned, “He’s shooting over the top of the door, the right front passenger side,” in accordance with the Los Angeles Times. Yet whereas testifying on Dec. 16, Kelsey mentioned she had no thought who shot Megan and that she couldn’t keep in mind whether or not Lanez had provided her cash to remain silent. She described a lot of the particulars from that night time as a blur.
Megan has mentioned that she and Kelsey now not communicate to one another following the taking pictures.
Lanez declined to testify in his personal protection on Wednesday, in accordance with Rolling Stone, after prosecutors mentioned they’d a stockpile of proof towards the rapper.
As the trial started, a number of dozen individuals turned out in assist of Megan in entrance of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles, some holding indicators that learn “We Stand With Megan.” Supporters of Lanez additionally protested outdoors the courthouse that he was wrongfully charged.