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Megan Thee Stallion Takes the Stand in Defamation Lawsuit, Details Emotional Toll of Online Harassment
Miami, FL – Hip-hop superstar Megan Thee Stallion, whose legal name is Megan Pete, delivered emotional testimony Thursday in a federal courthouse in Miami, recounting the severe emotional distress caused by an alleged defamation campaign spearheaded by social media commentator and blogger Milagro Cooper, known as “Milagro Gramz.” Pete filed the defamation lawsuit in October 2024, asserting that Cooper engaged in a coordinated effort to harass, intimidate, and defame her.
Pete testified that Cooper’s actions were carried out in concert with rapper Tory Lanez, who was convicted of shooting and injuring Pete in July 2020. The lawsuit claims Cooper disseminated false information about Pete in an attempt to discredit her after Pete publicly identified Lanez as her shooter.
“She’s created a space for a lot of people to come speak negatively about me,” Pete stated, referring to social media posts where Cooper allegedly attacked Pete’s character, portraying her as a liar and mentally unstable. Pete also shared, “I felt like nobody cared that I was shot. I know everyone was making jokes about it.”
The jury was presented with X-ray images of Pete’s feet, showing bullet fragments from the 2020 shooting.
Emotional Testimony Details Impact on Mental Health
During a poignant moment on the stand, Pete revealed that the social media posts promoted by Cooper, which cast doubt on her account and assailed her character, led to profound emotional distress.
“There was a time that I genuinely didn’t care if I lived or died,” Pete tearfully testified. “I felt like no way I mattered.
No way I should even be living. I don’t want to be here.
I’m tired of waking up. I just wanted to die.
I was so tired of being alive.”
When asked about her current well-being, Pete described her day in court as “OK,” expressing relief at the opportunity to share her side of the story and hoping for a positive outcome. “I’m not going to kill myself because I’m not going to give them what they’re looking for,” she asserted, explaining how she found strength amidst the intense public scrutiny. Pete hopes her testimony will “inspire other women to want to tell their truth.”
Blogger’s Defense and Allegations of Collusion
Earlier in the week, Milagro Cooper testified, asserting that her discussions about the shooting on her social media channels were independent of Tory Lanez (whose legal name is Daystar Peterson). However, Cooper acknowledged speaking with Peterson and expressed a desire to feature him on her channel. She also admitted to receiving payments from Peterson’s father, Sonstar Peterson, but claimed these payments were for “personal” reasons, such as her children’s birthdays, and “promotional” work.
The jury was shown social media posts in which Cooper claimed Pete was not shot. When questioned if she believed Pete had been shot, Cooper responded, “I can’t say she lied about that because I wasn’t there,” but then later stated her belief that Pete was not shot and had stepped on glass-a claim Pete initially made to police.
Pete reiterated her explanation for the initial discrepancy on Thursday, stating that as a Black woman, she feared police, particularly after the 2020 killing of George Floyd. She explained she was attempting to “protect” herself and her companions by not disclosing the presence of a gun. “Even though he hurt me, I still didn’t want to see him arrested or shot by police,” Pete said of Peterson.
Peterson is not a defendant in Pete’s defamation lawsuit but was compelled to give a deposition before the trial.
Defamation Claims Deemed “Overreach” by Defense
The lawsuit, which accuses Cooper of defamation, promoting an altered sexual depiction of Pete, cyberstalking, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, seeks unspecified “compensatory damages, punitive damages, statutory damages, attorney’s fees, costs, interest, and all other damages as are just and proper as well as declaratory judgment to remedy Defendant’s unlawful behavior.” Cooper has denied wrongdoing in her legal response.
In a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, Cooper’s attorneys argued that “multiple allegations of ‘defamation’ are an overreach,” contending that some of Cooper’s statements are “substantially true,” while others are “clearly opinion and/or rhetorical hyperbole and therefore not actionable as a matter of law.”
Pete’s complaint alleges that Cooper conspired with Peterson to “punish” Pete for testifying in Peterson’s trial and identifying him as her shooter. Peterson, who pleaded not guilty and did not testify in his 2022 trial, had his defense attorneys argue he was not the shooter.
Tory Lanez’s Conviction and Contempt of Court
Peterson was sentenced to 10 years in prison without parole on August 8, 2023, following his December 2022 conviction for felony assault for shooting and injuring Pete in both feet during an incident in the Hollywood Hills on July 12, 2020. His conviction was upheld by a federal court in Los Angeles on November 12.
Court records indicate that Peterson and his attorney were held in contempt of court earlier this week for failing to answer questions during a deposition related to Pete’s lawsuit against Cooper. Peterson was ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.
The court documents stated, “As a result of Mr. Peterson’s deliberate evasion during three attempted depositions, and his attorney’s coordinated scheme with him to object, obstruct, coach, and deny the opportunity for questioning at his third deposition, both Mr. Peterson and his attorney are hereby held in contempt of court.”
The shooting and subsequent trials have ignited significant public discourse regarding the treatment of women in society. Pete’s account and the intense public backlash she faced after sharing her story have brought renewed attention to the “Protect Black Women” movement, which highlights the dual challenges of sexism and racism experienced by Black women within their communities and broader society.