Rapper Megan Thee Stallion has finally stepped back into the spotlight to discuss the hardships she’s endured in the past few years as a Black woman who has experienced domestic violence and harassment.
In an essay for Elle, Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, starts off by saying, “I don’t want to call myself a victim.”
“As I reflect on the past three years, I view myself as a survivor, because I have truly survived the unimaginable,” she continued. “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.”
During the early morning hours on July 12, 2020, after a party at Kylie Jenner’s house, Megan was shot in the feet by her former friend and rapper Tory Lanez. In December, a Los Angeles jury found Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, guilty of the three charges — assault with a semiautomatic firearm; having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle; and discharging a firearm with gross negligence — but only after he harassed and amplified a campaign of misogynoir against Megan.
In her heartbreaking testimony during the trial, Megan spoke about how devastating it was to have her truth questioned while Lanez’s violence was justified and celebrated by his peers and fans.
“I wish he would have just shot and killed me if I would have known I would go through this torture,” Megan told the court last year. “I’ve been made to be the villain. He’s the villain.”
Megan’s very public experience and vitriol have resonated with Black women who are also no strangers to violence and misogynoir — a specific brand of misogyny that targets Black women — in their everyday life.
“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,” Megan told the magazine.
Lanez’s attorneys are currently seeking a new trial, but Megan has said this is the last time she intends to publicly address the situation. If Lanez is sentenced, it’s possible his attorneys will likely try to appeal his conviction.
“My purpose is for these words to serve as the final time that I’ll address anything regarding this case in the press. I understand the public intrigue, but for the sake of my mental health, I don’t plan to keep reliving the most traumatic experience of my life over and over again. I’m choosing to change the narrative because I’m more than just my trauma,” Megan said.
The “Tina Snow” rapper thanked her fellow “hotties” that have supported her and said that she plans on using the lessons she’s learned in the past few years to inspire her upcoming music.
“I was once told that you can’t have crucifixion without resurrection, and that statement resonated so deeply with me,” Megan said. “This is a rebirth of a happier and healthier me.”