Tory Lanez Ordered to Pay Megan Thee Stallion's Legal Fees For ‘Disruptive' Deposition
A federal judge issued the sanctions ruling Friday, saying Lanez, born Daystar Peterson, must pay Megan's 'reasonable attorney's fees incurred in taking [his] deposition.' The judge further ruled that a court-ordered, follow-up attempt to take Peterson's deposition would be supervised by a magistrate judge.
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At the April 9 deposition, with Peterson appearing by video from prison, the rapper repeatedly interrupted the attorney who was conducting the exam on behalf of the Grammy-winning rapper, born Megan Pete. Peterson accused the lawyer of planning to leak the video 'to fake some sort of narrative.' He also deflected questions by asking for the definitions of words including 'discuss' and 'approve.'
Asked at one point if he agreed that Megan Thee Stallion and Megan Pete are the same person, Peterson was evasive. 'There's a lot of Ms. Petes in this world. Which Ms. Pete are you talking about?' he replied. At one point, he instructed his lawyer to 'Google how many Megan Petes there are in the world.'
Shortly after the disastrous exam ran off the rails, Pete's lawyers asked that Lanez be held in contempt. In a filing, they said his demeanor was 'so disruptive, inflammatory, and inconsistent with the basic norms of civil litigation' that it 'made a mockery of the proceedings.'
While granting the legal fees for the April exam, the judge's new ruling did not go as far as Pete wanted. Her lawyers had asked that Peterson be forced to pay for the follow-up exam as well.
The April deposition marked the first time Peterson was forced to answer questions under oath since he accused of assaulting Pete with a semi-automatic firearm on a residential street in Los Angeles five years ago. Peterson is now serving a 10-year sentence after being found guilty of shooting Pete in both feet during the alcohol-fueled incident that followed a party at Kylie Jenner's house.
Pete requested the deposition as she pursues her lawsuit against Gramz, whose legal name is Milagro Cooper. Pete claims Cooper spread 'vicious and hateful rumors' about her while acting as Peterson's 'paid surrogate.'
Peterson, 33, declined to testify in his own defense at his December 2022 criminal trial that ended with his conviction on all three felony counts. He's now appealing the verdict. A source previously told Rolling Stone that Peterson regretted not testifying in his own defense. While Pete and her lawyers can subpoena any person they believe has information useful to their case, a spokesman for the non-profit organization whose lawyers now represent Peterson said the incarcerated rapper would not be a willing participant in a prison-based deposition.
'If you know Tory Lanez how I do, good luck trying to get him to 'testify' to anything, it's just not what he does,' Ceasar McDowell, CEO of Unite the People, said in a statement previously sent to Rolling Stone. 'He definitely did not 'agree' to testify now.' Cooper's lawyer, Michael Pancier, confirmed that his client did not oppose the deposition.
Pete first sued Cooper in October, claiming the YouTuber was part of a 'coordinated campaign' to smear her reputation and harass her as retaliation for her testimony against Peterson at trial. Pete claims Cooper has repeatedly attacked her with claims she suffers from alcoholism and requires a guardian. Pete alleges Cooper also promoted a deepfake pornographic video of her.
Cooper denies conspiring with Peterson and tried to get the lawsuit dismissed on the grounds that she was shielded as a journalist. The federal judge overseeing the lawsuit in Florida ruled against Cooper, allowing Pete's lawsuit to proceed. The judge said Pete had made a 'compelling case' that Cooper acted with a 'reckless disregard for the truth.'
Cooper's alleged ties to Peterson were mentioned in Pete's recent petition for a restraining order against Peterson. Pete claimed that Peterson used Cooper as a 'puppet and mouthpiece,' pointing to social media posts from October in which Cooper highlighted Peterson's false claim that the gun used in the July 2020 assault had 'gone missing.' The gun remains in police custody.
At a hearing in January, Pete gave emotional testimony that touched on her claims about Cooper without naming her directly. 'I haven't been at peace since I been shot, and I'm just trying to be un-harassed, not only by the person who shot me, but by the people he's been paying to continue to harass me,' Pete testified under oath. 'I probably won't ever have my own peace about the situation, but I just really want the harassment from the person who shot me to stop.'
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Richard Bloom granted the request, giving Pete a five-year restraining order against Peterson. The judge cited 'several uncontroverted facts' in his ruling, including 'conduct that culminated in [Lanez] shooting approximately five rounds at petitioner that resulted in injuries to her.' The judge said Peterson must stay at least 100 yards away from Pete and refrain from harassing, intimidating, or threatening her in any way until at least January 9, 2030.
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