A newly released transcript shows that famous rapper Tory Lanez admitted in court to feeling “remorse” over the shooting incident involving Megan Thee Stallion, contradicting a statement he later issued to fans on social media
“I do take responsibility for my wrongs,” Lanez told Judge David Herriford on Aug. 9 as he received 10-year sentence for shooting Megan in the foot in 2020. He spoke for several minutes and asked for leniency and a sentence that would offer him the chance to “prove himself,” according to People.
“I want to say that everything that I did wrong that night I take full responsibility for,” Lanez told the judge, per the outlet. “I take full culpability for. And I am mature enough to say where I was wrong. If I could go into it, I would, but I know that this is not the place for that. But I do take responsibility for my wrongs.”
Lanez spoke extensively during the hearing, noting that his parents were devout Christians who gave him a biblical name — his real name is Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson — and expressing a desire to do better and be better than the situation in which he found himself, according to the court transcript provided to People.
“There’s been times when I’ve, you know, made the wrong decisions. There’s been times when I’ve had moments that were under a lot [of] scrutiny, like this one right now,” Lanez said. “Through all of those moments as a celebrity, there’s times when the media can make things bigger than it is. They can change the story. They can do whatever it is that they do. And sometimes whatever they run with is what they’re gonna run with. But, your honor, I’m not standing in front of you today as a celebrity.”
“I’m standing before you as a regular person that genuinely just wants a chance. I am standing in front of you as a father to a child, who is 6 years old, who is my world and needs me in his life every step of the way,” he added, according to People.
The Canadian-born rapper went on to offer his perspective on the incident. (RELATED: Megan Thee Stallion Halts Career To Heal From Traumatic Shooting Incident)
“But I think that there’s been this common misconception about me being this monster and not having any sort of remorse or any sort of — I don’t even know what the word is — but not having some sort of sympathy in the situation that I’ve been in. And it’s just not true,” he said. The rapper noted he was unable to defend himself or fully explain his position due to a restraining order.
Despite what he told the judge, Lanez took to social media the day he was handed a ten-year jail sentence, and wrote, “I refuse to apologize for something that I did not do.”