Tory Lanez pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges related to the shooting of rapper Megan Thee Stallion, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced in a statement via Twitter.
According to statements made to XXL Magazine, Tory Lanez, born Daystar Peterson, entered the ‘not guilty’ plea, through his attorney Shawn Holley, as he was not present on Wednesday during the arraignment.
Rap artist charged with assault of woman in Hollywood Hills pleaded not guilty today. He is due back in court on 1/20. https://t.co/J62gxvztm5 #LADAOffice
— Jackie Lacey (@LADAOffice) November 18, 2020
He is scheduled to return to court however, on January 20, for a preliminary hearing.
Megan Thee Stallion, having had a widely successful 2020, denied identifying Tory Lanez as the assailant for a while after the shooting became public. Megan only posted a photo of her feet on her social media, with the explanation
“.. I got hit at the back of my feet because when I got shot I was WALKING AWAY FACING THE BACK. Why would I lie abt getting shot?..”
Following the backlash on social media and Tory Lanez’s confrontational statements, however, Megan decided to address the incident on her IG Live and identified Tory Lanez as the one who shot her, bringing in more heat to the whole drama.
Earlier in October, Tory Lanez made a statement about the issue, denying Megan’s and her legal teams’ accusations that he was the one who assaulted her group and shot her.
will … and the truth will come to the light … I have all faith in God to show that … love to all my fans and people that have stayed true to me & know my heart … a charge is not a conviction . If you have supported me or meg thru this , I genuinely appreciate u . — Tory Lanez (@torylanez) October 9, 2020
In an interview with GQ magazine earlier this week, Megan also claimed that rapper Tory Lanez tried to buy her off with hush money, just 2 days before Lanez entered the ‘not guilty’ plea.
Megan Thee Stallion is also releasing her first studio album, Good News, this Friday, just two days after Tory Lanez’s court hearing.