Tory Lanez was hospitalized on Monday after being stabbed at the California prison where he is serving 10 years for shooting fellow musician Megan Thee Stallion.
The Canadian rapper, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, is in fair condition after he was allegedly attacked by another inmate at a housing unit at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi around 7:20 a.m. local time, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The suspected attacker, identified as Santino Casio, has been placed in restricted housing pending an investigation, CDCR said.
A message posted to Lanez's official Instagram account that night said he was stabbed 14 times, "including 7 wounds to his back, 4 to his torso, 2 to the back of his head, and 1 to the left side of his face." It said both of his lungs had collapsed, but his condition was improving.
"He is now breathing on his own," it reads. "Despite being in pain, he is talking normally, in good spirits, and deeply thankful to God that he is pulling through."
Details about the attack remain scarce. CDCR officials said the prison's investigative unit and Kern County District Attorney's Office are investigating. NPR has reached out to the DA's office for more information.
Why is Lanez in prison? A refresher on the case
Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison in August 2023 after a divisive and high-drama trial that ended with his conviction on three felony charges: assault with a semi-automatic firearm, possession of a concealed, unregistered firearm, and negligent discharge of a firearm.
The charges stem from an incident that happened early one morning in July 2020 as Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion left a pool party in Los Angeles. Stallion, whose legal name is Megan Pete, accused Lanez of shooting her in both feet as she got out of their vehicle after an argument.
Stallion said in a since-deleted Instagram post a few days later that she had suffered gunshot wounds that night, but did not identify Lanez as the perpetrator until the following month. Lanez — who pleaded not guilty at trial — then released an album with lyrics maintaining his innocence and casting doubt on Stallion's claims.
That October, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office charged Lanez with felony assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and a judge issued a protective order to keep him at least 100 yards away from Stallion. He violated the order the following summer.
The rappers continued to spar in public, referring to the incident in song lyrics. Meanwhile, media personalities, other high-profile rappers and fans of both artists cast doubt on the other's version of events, with many scrutinizing and blaming Stallion.
Lanez's December 2022 trial divided the hip-hop community and the internet, raising broader issues like the mistreatment of Black women in both the industry and the criminal justice system. Stallion testified during the trial that the shooting — and ensuing backlash — had hurt her physical and mental health, and she feared it would damage her career too.
"I can't hold conversations with people for a long time. I don't feel like I want to be on this earth," she said. "I wish he would have just shot and killed me, if I knew I would have to go through this torture."
Lanez is appealing his sentence but was denied bond in the meantime.
His legal troubles continued behind bars
Stallion alleges that Lanez has harassed her from prison through surrogates, resulting in an extension of the restraining order against him.
In a petition filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in December, her legal team wrote that he "continues to subject her to repeated trauma and victimization," according to the Associated Press.
"Even now, while behind bars, Mr. Peterson shows no signs of stopping," reads the petition, which the AP obtained.
It reports that the petition says prison logs from Lanez show he was using third parties — including one specific blogger — to harass Stallion online by making false claims such as that the gun and bullet in the case are missing.
Lanez's attorney wrote in a court filing that the two had not been in direct contact, saying his client's incarceration means there is "no longer any form of current or future threat" to Stallion.
A judge granted Stallion's request in January for a restraining order through 2030.
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