Megan Thee Stallion: ‘People treated my trauma like a running joke’

For the first time since R&B singer Tory Lanez was found guilty of shooting her in the foot last December, Megan Thee Stallion is speaking out about the attack and the verdict.

“As I reflect on the past three years, I view myself as a survivor, because I have truly survived the unimaginable,” Megan told Elle magazine about the July 2020 shooting after a Hollywood party and the subsequent trial.

“Not only did I survive being shot by someone I trusted and considered a close friend, but I overcame the public humiliation of having my name and reputation dragged through the mud by that individual for the entire world to see.”

And the Grammy-winning rapper reveals that one of the toughest aspects of the ordeal was the public shaming she received after coming forward about the attack.

“I could have let the adversity break me, but I persevered, even as people treated my trauma like a running joke,” Megan writes in her first-person story.

“First, there were conspiracy theories that I was never shot. Then came the false narratives that my former best friend shot me. Even some of my peers in the music industry piled on with memes, jokes, and sneak disses, and completely ignored the fact that I could have lost my life. Instead of condemning any form of violence against a woman, these individuals tried to justify my attacker’s actions.”

The 28-year-old star — whose real name is Megan Pete — also reveals that she almost didn’t come forward. 

“I wish I could have handled this situation privately,” she says. “That was my intention, but once my attacker made it public, everything changed.

“By the time I identified my attacker, I was completely drained. Many thought I was inexplicably healed because I was still smiling through the pain, still posting on social media, still performing, still dancing, and still releasing music.”

In reality, though, Megan reveals that she was suffering from depression during the whole ordeal.

“I didn’t feel like making music,” she says. “I was in such a low place that I didn’t even know what I wanted to rap about. I wondered if people even cared anymore.

“There would be times that I’d literally be backstage or in my hotel, crying my eyes out, and then I’d have to pull Megan Pete together and be Megan Thee Stallion.”

Despite the public distrust of her accusations on social media, Megan “knew the truth and the indisputable facts would prevail. I had worked way too hard to reach this point in my career to let taunts deter me.

“When the guilty verdict came on Dec. 23, 2022, it was more than just vindication for me, it was a victory for every woman who has ever been shamed, dismissed, and blamed for a violent crime committed against them.”