Megan claimed that the crime, which occurred after a pool occasion at Kylie Jenner’s home, was dedicated by Tory Lanez in an try to “physically harm” her following an argument they’d had.
But Megan solely confronted extra criticism — in addition to heaps of mockery — from a number of web customers, lots of whom had been followers of Tory. She finally opened up about being painted because the “villain” in a heartbreaking interview in June, throughout which she questioned whether or not her look had something to do with folks’s unwillingness to imagine her.
“In some kind of way, I became the villain. And I don’t know if people don’t take it seriously because I seem strong,” she mentioned.
“I wonder if it’s because of the way I look. Is it because I’m not light enough? Is it that I’m not white enough? Am I not the shape? The height? Because I’m not petite?” she went on. “Do I not seem like I’m worth being treated like a woman?”
Tory, who has denied the allegations towards him, was formally charged with felony assault towards Megan in October 2020. His trial was postponed to December, and now that it’s underway, the rapper is dealing with three felony expenses: assault with a semi-automatic firearm, possession of an unregistered firearm, and negligent discharge of a firearm.
Tory has pleaded not responsible to all three expenses. If convicted, he may withstand 22 years in jail, in addition to attainable deportation again to Canada.
During Megan’s emotional testimony, she broke down in tears as she recalled seeing merciless messages about herself on-line from critics for the reason that incident occurred, a few of whom mentioned she deserved to be shot.
“I can’t believe I have to come here and do this,” she mentioned.
Going on to element the influence it’s had on her psychological well being, Megan mentioned she wished Tory would’ve “killed” her if it meant she’d keep away from the “torture” she’s been via since.
“I can’t even be happy,” she mentioned. “I wish he would have shot and killed me if I knew I had to go through this torture.”
“I can’t hold conversations with people for a long time. I don’t feel like I want to be on this Earth,” she continued.
Megan was later requested about altering her story on the evening of the capturing when she was initially questioned by law enforcement officials. She firstly mentioned she’d stepped in glass earlier than finally claiming Tory had shot her, and defined that this was as a result of she doesn’t “feel safe with the police,” nor does she really feel that ladies are “believed when they speak out.”
“I don’t feel safe with the police,” she mentioned in tears. “In the Black community — in my community — it’s not really acceptable to be cooperating with police officers.” Megan added that her deep-rooted mistrust of cops was solely exacerbated by George Floyd’s homicide in May 2020, and the Black Lives Matter protests that adopted.
And Megan went on to explain how she’s been “turned into some kind of villain” by the general public for the reason that incident, with a number of rappers within the trade — in what she described as a “big boy’s club” — now hateful in direction of her, too.
“This situation has only been worse for me and it has only made him more famous,” she mentioned. “Because I was shot, I’ve been turned into some kind of villain, and he’s the victim. This has messed up my whole life … This whole situation in the industry is like a big boy’s club … I’m telling on one of y’all friends, now you’re all about to hate me.”
“This bitch lie ‘bout getting shot but she still a stallion / She don’t even get the joke but she still smiling,” Drake raps in “Circo Loco.”
In response, Megan tweeted: “I know I’m very popular but y’all gotta stop attaching weak ass conspiracy theories in bars to my name… Stop using my shooting for clout bitch ass Niggas! Since when tf is it cool to joke abt women getting shot !”
“You niggas especially RAP NIGGAS ARE LAME! Ready to boycott bout shoes and clothes but dog pile on a black woman when she say one of y’all homeboys abused her,” she continued.
“And when the mf facts come out remember all y’all hoe ass favorite rappers that stood behind a Nigga that SHOT A FEMALE,” she added. “People attack me y’all go up for it , i defend myself now I’m doing too much … every time it never ends and this did NOT happen until I came out and said I got shot … y’all don’t fwm okay cool fuck it bye.”
Several web customers slammed Drake and 21 Savage for fueling claims that Megan had lied concerning the capturing and “making jabs at her trauma.”
“The shitty thing is that Tory did not have this much support and clout before the shooting,” one Reddit person mentioned. “The fact that he shot a successful black woman is why he’s getting all these features and shout outs from different celebs.”
Now, Megan’s newest testimony has solely sparked a wider dialogue about misogynoir, which is the ingrained prejudice towards Black ladies, with many concluding that “Black women are never believed.”
“This is how misogynoir harms us,” one individual wrote, quoting Megan’s testimony. “If a famous Black woman wants to die after being assaulted, none of us are OK.”
“They cannot fathom a Black woman being abused. It’s all rooted in misogynoir,” mentioned one other. “In the eyes of society, black women are not victims. They can’t be. They are the aggressors. They are the problem. She must’ve done SOMETHING to deserve getting shot. OR she’s just straight up lying.”
A 3rd person added, “What happened to Megan is absolutely horrific, reading the account of the situation in her own words just… The Misogynoir is so evident.”
What’s extra, followers later drew comparisons between the way in which Megan and Tory had been handled by bystanders as they individually entered the courtroom.
Video footage exhibiting Megan rampantly being accused of mendacity by paparazzi after which instantly catcalled was rapidly labeled “disgusting to watch” by Twitter customers.
“‘you look good in that purple’ being preceded by ‘megan, why you lying on that boy?’ is exactly what misogynoir, patriarchy, and rape culture look like in real time. he is literally cat calling her while simultaneously clearly stating he doesn’t believe she’s a victim,” one individual mentioned.
In stark distinction, Tory — who entered together with his 6-year-old son, who has no involvement within the trial — was showered with compliments by the identical individuals who harassed Megan.
Pointing out the distinction, one Twitter person wrote: “in contrast, the video of tory walking in has men lined up to dap him up, tell him they love him, and that he ‘looks fresh as a million bucks.’”