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Tory Lanez has been criticized for bringing his young son to court with him as he faces charges for allegedly shooting Megan Thee Stallion.
The rapper—whose given name is Daystar Peterson— turned up to the court for the second day of his trial with his son Kai, believed to be about five years old.
Lanez stepped out of the car he had traveled in, while lifting his son out before adjusting the boy's suit and then walking into the courtroom together.
He then carried Kai on his back as they left at the end of the day.
"This is my support system and I'm his too," Lanez told reporters outside the courtroom.
But many people reacted on Twitter, slamming the rapper for using his son as a "prop" to elicit an emotional reaction.
"Tory Lanez trying to gain sympathy by bringing his son to court to show everyone present that they are the same height is nasty work," tweeted one person.
Another added: "Tory Lanez bringing his son to court with him everyday & adjusting his suit in front of cameras like a prop is really gross and nobody is talking about it."
And a third wrote: "Tory Lanez is a terrible father! I don't know that man, I'm not familiar with his work... But taking your child (not lost on me that its his son) to court with you when you are the defendant in a case of gender based violence is definitely all the evidence I need."
Tory Lanez arrived at court with his son, who isn't involved in the trialpic.twitter.com/YUdDipJfKh
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) December 13, 2022
The Canadian hip-hop star is accused of shooting Megan in the foot in July 2020 during an altercation.
An argument reportedly broke out between them after they attended a pool party in Hollywood Hills, California. Megan has alleged that Lanez shot and wounded her in the feet.
He was charged in October 2020 with one felony count each of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle. He pleaded not guilty to both charges the following month.
Then on Monday, prosecutors added a third charge of discharging a firearm with gross negligence. If found guilty, Lanez could face up to 23 years in prison.
Megan said she initially lied to police about her injuries and that she had actually stepped on glass.
She said in the moment she was afraid for Lanez's safety because the incident had occurred at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests over the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis.
Megan has also alleged that Lanez offered her money to keep the incident to herself.
Prosecutors told the jury in the Los Angeles court that Lanez allegedly shot her five times after Megan insulted Lanez's music career and the nature of their relationship. They explained Megan asked to be let out of their car as they left a pool party at Kylie Jenner's house.
According to the prosecutors, Megan heard Lanez shout "dance, b****" as he fired at her feet on the sidewalk as she walked away from the car.
Megan was taken to the hospital and later shared a photo of her injured foot to social media where several bullet fragments had been removed by doctors.
She gave emotional testimony to the court on Tuesday, December 13, telling the jurors she had lost her confidence since the incident.
"Everything feels blurry," the rapper explained.
Megan said: "I don't wanna be on this Earth. I wish he woulda shot and killed me if I knew I would go through this torture." She said going public with the incident had caused her to "lose my confidence, lose my friends, lose myself. Damn, maybe I should be dead."
Newsweek reached out to Lanez's representatives for comment.
Anyone seeking help should call The National Domestic Violence Hotline, a free and confidential hotline available 24/7 that can be reached on 1-800-799-7233 or TTY 1-800-787-3224. The Hotline also provides information on local resources. For more information, visit https://www.thehotline.org/.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
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About the writer
Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more